The Jena-6 and the power of personal non-violent protest

I have been powerfully effected by the situation in Jena, Louisiana. I teach in a ninth grade transition program that's over 90% African American. My students in North Carolina have taken it very personally, and understandably so. The worst part of the racism in Jena is that it occured on many levels including Institutional Levels. Institutional racism is the most destructive of all. When members of institutions such as the School Superintendent, Law Enforcement Officers, and Attorneys wield their power in an unequal way it is not only insulting on a racist level, but it undermines the public's confidence in these very important institutions. If the public has no confidence in these institutions the very fabric of our society begins to tear apart.

I believe that these young black men were shown repeatedly that the standards of their community were applied unequally. The situation got to such a point that they finally erupted in a violent attack on a white boy that was connected to some of the hatred. While I can understand the frustration, and outrage of these young men I wish they hadn't resorted to violence. It has without question made the situation worse for them.

The power of Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement of the 60's was that it was non-violent. In Selma it was obvious who the victims were. It opened the eyes of the nation. Nobody could deny the injustice of innocent, peaceful blacks being beaten by the police. In Jena things are more complicated because 6 victims of racism and violence used violence to make their oppressor into a quasi-victim in the eyes of some.

I bring this up to lead into another point. I believe that personal non-violent protest is the most powerful way to change injustice. However, it must be differentiated from a government's response to injustice. The Bible says that governments are a sword to execute judgement and justice. If they do not respond with force to protect their citizens from attack, they shirk their God-given responsibility.

By definition governments cannot be Christian, only individuals can. Governments are entities without souls who only do what their leaders make them do. Governments can and should reflect Christian values, so the citizens will be blessed with justice, peace, freedom and prosperity, but they will never answer to God. Only people do. Governments are a sword to be used wisely.

-Paul B.

No more Republican scandals

Congress should spend their time on something other than crime in this country, it seems the criminals all get elected to Congress now. There are plenty of bad Democrats. But not every Democrat has $100,000 in their freezer. My distress is that so many of the criminals in Congress are in my party, Republican.

This is my appeal to the Republican party and Republicans thinking of running for public office. If you are like Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham or Tom DeLay and you are after money, we (my fellow Republicans) don't want you. If you have some sexual predilection like Mark Foley or Larry Craig, we (my fellow Republicans) don't want you. If you can't wait to start using earmarks, we (my fellow Republicans) don't want you either.

If you ever want to win another election, you will hold the Democrats on spending money, be swift in winning the war in Iraq and moving on to new terror locations and face up to the Mainstream Media without shame. The voters didn't vote for Democrats because they had a better plan, that is clear. They just didn't want the Republican party in its present state.

-Jeremy

Sally Field is a Fool

During her Emmy acceptance speech last night, Sally Field said that if mothers ruled the world, there would be no war. She won her Emmy portraying a mother. This to me is the epitome of foolishness. She is so ignorant of the Muslim world where not only do mothers themselves strap on bombs and make war on occasion but they are proud of their martyr children that make war against the perceived enemy.

She may never understand that we will only have peace when the rest of the world adopts America's Judeo-Christian values regardless of whether they practice Judaism or Christianity.

-Jeremy

Carbon offsets and other liberal lies

I agree Jeremy. Edwards is a nightmare. He lives in an enormous mansion over 20,000 sf and talks about us being frugal. What an idiot and a hypocrite. I suppose he needs that much space to research poverty. Yeah, to some that actually makes sense. Then there are the so-called carbon offsets so they can feel better about their lifestyle. I actually have no problem with him living as extravagant a lifestyle as he wants. Just don't preach to me about giving up anything. Carbon offsets are literally nothing. They pay windmill companies money to run their clean windmills. While this does add more electricity, it does not replace the "dirty" forms of energy out there. It's the same as the medieval indulgences, where the rich would pay money so they could indulge in sin. My how they've lost their way!!!!

Under Edwards, an apple a day, does not keep the doctor away

I don't know if you heard it this week but Edwards actually said that if elected president, he will create a federal mandate requiring annual physicals. I guess this means we will end up paying double for health insurance because of government waste but it's okay, he will raise your taxes for it.

As much as I don't like Tom Tancredo, I have to hand it to him. He absolutely made the war on terror crystal clear in the Republican debate the other night. So many people to not take terror seriously. They are so isolated in safe old USA.

-Jeremy

My condolences to all you who had to have the iPhone first.

Hillary and Tyranny

Read my title to the tune of "ebony and ivory". Fred Thompson said it well recently, "if government is big enough to give you everything, it is big enough to take away everything". So true!!!!!!! John Edwards wants us to give up our SUV's. Hillary wants to take "corporate profits". Obama wants to try "diplomacy" with murderous thugs. Yeah, it's quite an outstanding crop of leaders the Dems are trotting out there.

-Paul

Hillary for Socialist Ruler of America, er President

After listening to her stump speech over the weekend, it seems that she wants to redistribute wealth and give "you" everything you can't seem to get on your own. I don't know why she hates the rich, she is rich. She seems to think that she can provide healthcare, higher wages, paid education, pre-school for all and of course no service member to ever be outside the US. None of this, of course, is provided for in the constitution. Even if you could make a valid argument for some of these services, they can only be funded by states and not the Federal Government.

Hugh Hewitt played the speech for most of his first two hours and I don't know how I will be able to handle four to eight years of listening to her much less the next year of campaigning. At least President Bill Clinton had a comfortable voice.

-Jeremy

Trader Joe's and the blessings of Liberty

I was at the Grand Opening of the grocery store Trader Joes this morning. Initially, I was skeptical as we waited for the doors to open. I saw all these people so excited, whoopin' and hollerin', and I thought "ok, you people are stereotypical, shallow, consumers. This is just another grocery store". Well, these people had experienced Trader Joe's in California, Arizona, and all over, and they knew what I didn't. I needed only 5 minutes to see how wrong I was. This store was made for people like us who are transitioning to a more whole-food based, organic diet, and the prices are about 30% less than what we normally pay for similar items. This, of course, will not only have a positive ripple effect to our health, but our ability to use our money for other priorities. Economically, it will empower us and give us more choices.

As I shopped for ingredients for my famous fajitas, that I'll be making tonight for some friends, I began thinking about the Garden of Eden. God filled it with abundance, variety, pleasure, comfort, and most importantly..........choices. Almost everything in it was good, but there was one choice that God prohibited. Anytime you have liberty there will be abundance, blessings and choices. Some will lead to life, and others will lead to death. When God restores the world it will become more and more like the original Garden of Eden.

Now, I don't believe America is the Garden of Eden. But our government system values many things that God values. America has chosen freedom, and liberty, and to secure the blessings of liberty we've instituted a free-market, capitalistic economic system. The result is that Americans have more choice and opportunity than anywhere else in the world. Yes, there are dangers to choice. Just like the two trees in the garden, life and death are before us all the time. Do I use my money to buy food for my family, or waste it on lottery tickets? Do I give to charity or use it for mindless entertainment. Many times you can do both, and that's ok. But when you must choose, what do you choose?

The nature of poverty is lack, rationing, and very few choices, all of which are difficult. Do I choose food or medicine; electricity or paying the water bill? It's not good at all. In communist countries there isn't abundance in any form, except misery. People wait on line for hours for one kind of bread, and are rationed how much they can buy. This is not defeated by more rationing. I hear many people that want to fight poverty with poverty. They want to coercively take away resources through taxes, and redistribute it. Poverty is defeated by more freedom, empowerment, choices and opportunities. The greatest liberator for those stuck in poverty is education. The average person with a college education will make over a milliion dollars more, over their lifetime, than a high school graduate. Education empowers, and creates opportunities. It's the parable of the talents. It allows a person to use the giftings God gave them. Education invests in people. The return on investment is a society full of people empowered to create their own destinies. These are the blessings of liberty.

Nahoul the Jihadist Bumble Bee

What the world needs now is.................. How does that song go? Well, instead of love you've got a popular kids show led by an 11 year old and a Jihadist Bumble Bee. Great!!!!! Never mind the fact of the historical right of the Jews to inhabit Israel. Never mind the fact that there is no such thing as a "palestinian people". There never was an official Arab-run country called Palestine. Never Mind the fact that it was controlled by Britain before Israel came, not the Arabs. Never mind the fact that God gave it to the Jewish people. They suddenly maintain this lie that it's their land, and this kid wants the Jews out. Go to this link and see the article about this tool of evil propaganda. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293284,00.html

-Paul

The Iowa Straw Poll

So Romney won the straw poll yesterday. Does it mean anything? The last few Republicans that won the straw poll went on to win the nomination: Bush and Dole. My sense is that this election year is different though. There are some potentially major players that haven't officially entered the race yet: Fred Thompson, and Newt Gingrich. Not to mention that Guiliani, and McCain ignored it altogether. One thing that could be a significant indicator of things to come is Mike Huckabee's strong 2nd place finish. I see his stock rising, and rising. I think he could be a very strong Vice-presidential candidate for Thompson, Guilini or Romney. There is even a chance that he might pull even with the top 3 I mentioned and make it into a top four situation.

Another thing I've been thinking about is how the top Republican Candidates absolutely dwarf the top Democrat candidates in experience. Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are a bunch of 1 term senators. The Dems definitely have star-power with the attractiveness of their top 3, but that's all. It definitely should be interesting, though.

-Paul

Patriotism

I wanted to start a thread on Patriotism. Paul Pace has brought up that his allegiance is to God and not to America. I can agree with that in a worst-case scenario sort of way, but America's not there yet. That has caused me to think about why I love America. I suppose that there are some who are patriotic out of a reflexive form of nationalism. It's not easy these days to understand what makes America special amongst all the countries of the world. We are constantly bombarded by voices in the media and society that want to blame America for all the ills of the world. They say we are hated by the world, yet the world's citizens are beating, and swimming a path to our door so they can partake of the blessings of liberty.
Is America perfect? No. Are there excesses in American society? Definitely. Then why do I love America so much?

After much thought I realize that I love America, because it's ideals are consistent with God's character!!!!! When I pledge allegiance to the Flag, I pledge allegiance to the ideal of a nation being united under God, with liberty, and justice for all. These ideals make America special.

One of the definitions of the word "constitution" means: the substance of which something is made. I love the substance from which America is made. Freedom of Religion. Freedom of Speech. Freedom of the Press. The Right to Bear Arms (a check and balance against tyrannical government). Equal rights and protection under the law regardless of race, class, gender etc.... These ideals make me proud to be an American because they are the application on earth of things that were born in the mind of God in Heaven.

The times that I feel frustrated as an American are always the times that we fail to live up to these ideals. They are the times that people try to railroad the process and impose different values on American society; truly "unconstitutional" agendas: oppressive taxes, equal outcome-based laws, thought-crime legislation, abortion, property and income redistribution-type policies. All of those things are unconstitutional and therefore inconsistent with my Christian Faith. Patriotism and Faith not only intersect in the founding principles of America, but my Faith demands that I support these ideals for they bring some of the culture of heaven to the earth.

Random Thought #2

I find it ironic that Barry Bonds broke the home run record in the city that is investigating him - Washington, D.C.

It is also lost that the ultimate non-team player did not acknowledge that his team lost in the midst of his personal milestone. Home Run records don't show up in the standings.

-Jeremy

Bang! Bang!

Good for you Paul, I have been wanting to do the same myself for a long time. This is why all Israelis are required to carry a gun when transporting children. I don't understand why you connote the violence is negative. It reminds me of the people that demonize guns but not the perpetrator of the crime. Violence is what saved us in World War II. The threat of violence won us the cold war. Violence in and of itself is not a bad thing. I hope you do get one someday and I hope the kids get a good understanding of the history of guns and why our rights to guns as citizens is so vital.

-Jeremy

shooting practice

Well Fellas,
I went shooting yesterday for the first time in my life. A friend of mine has some guns and we went to a target range. It's interesting how this is coinciding with our discussion on the Christian and violence. I am still on the fence regarding whether I want to be a gun owner or not. On the one hand, I experienced vividly the awesome power, and responsibility it is to wield a gun, and that is scary for a number of reasons. I have young kids, so their safety is paramount to me. Part of me sees the benefits to them growing up with a healthy view, and knowledge of firearms, but still part of me is scared. I would definitely get a safe for it, that only I would know the combination to. But sill it's both reassuring and unsettling at the same time.
I tore up the dude on the target paper pretty good. If I were to do that to an intruder/attacker would I be alright with that? Would my kids be alright with that? Do I have other self-defense tactics at my disposal so that a gun-based solution is the absolute last resort? I've been trying to reconcile all of these questions and more. I kind of want my own "rules of engagement" so to speak. I'll let you all know what the final decision is and I invite your input.
I think as a teacher, Virginia Tech was the turning point for me where I began seeing it almost as my civic duty to be armed. We had a lock down this year at school and I would want to be able to protect my students. The administration at Virginia Tech was so proud of the gun-free laws they instituted a few years ago. They said it would make students "feel safer"..........appearance over substance!!!!
I say all that to say this, I don't know practically for me how this will all shake down. To own or not to own, that is the question.

-Paul

Torture is the wrong understanding

Paul, to me this is definitely a gray area. I think there are degrees of torture. Abu Graib was not torture, it was humiliation. They had underwear on their heads but at least they kept their heads.

But to me, this is similar to animal testing. I don't want animals to suffer but you have to look at the greater good. Do you torture (in moderation) one terrorist so you can spare the torture of 100,000 who could suffer from a nuclear or biological weapon? And like an animal, do you make one suffer to spare 1,000,000 dying of AIDS in Africa or suffering with Cancer in America?

Like physics laws, and economic laws, every action has a reaction. It is far more important to me to avoid mass suffering by extracting information from terrorists. And in our action in Iraq, we are trying to spare the Iraqis long-term suffering by giving them long awaited Freedom and transforming the middle east into a free society from a despotic one, assuring our future US security. One of the things I appreciate about President Bush is that he is looking at the Big Picture. Like President Lincoln, he wasn't concerned with popularity, only with doing what is right for humanity. That is assuring Freedom or as President Kennedy put it, spreading Liberty. We can't do it everywhere unfortunately. In the end, I don't know if it will work or if Islamists will squelch it but it has to be done for the good of humanity. It comes with a cost and that cost might be a few torture cases. Now we take this in our minds as probably the "24" version of torture. But when you know information is available, you have to get it. Who knows how many will be spared torture as a result.

-Jeremy

Torture, War, and Morality

Well, Jeremy this is a big one to tackle. Paul Pace brought up a number of interesting moral questions and scenarios in the last thread. They are so numerous and so important to discuss I thought we should dedicate some blog time to this thorny issue of torture, war, and morality. Wrapped up in this complex issue are two sub-issues that I want to focus on here: According to the Bible, what is an individual Christian's opinion to be about this? And according to the Bible, what does God want Government's role and opinion to be of this?
I feel that it's very important for these issues to be addressed Biblically, and not just anecdotally. In your friend's, friend's blog: thomerica.com/reformanda/2007/06/torture-eucharist.html he makes some biblical points but most of his points are political and are akin to the America hating, anti-capitalist rantings I would find on any liberal fringe website. Be careful about what you ingest. There are many things that claim to be morally-based, or Christian based, but really they are just more ideologies wrapped up in a guilt-laden, religious package. "There is no condemnation to those who are in Messiah".
For example, he is incredulous at the idea that there could be any kind of plurality of opinion among Christians on this very complicated issue. He asserts that any Christian who makes exceptions with certain circumstances of torture or war must be bigotted against "inferior ethnicities", blinded by the "pathology of imperialism", or simply "antichrist". These are all huge straw men that we must agree to denounce if we are going to have a thoughtful discussion. There may be some that arrive at a pro-war or pro-torture position because of those repugnant beliefs, but that's not me. So let's agree that we won't name-call here.
So, if I understand correctly, the central idea of Christian pacificism, (at all costs) is: since Christ suffered to redeem the world, so should we. I hope that's a correct assumption, because that's what I'm going to deal with here. My response to that is "yes" and "no". There is "denying ourselves, taking up our cross and following Jesus", but there is also the religious spirit that was at work in the pharisees. They extended the rules and regulations of the Torah denying themselves all sorts of conveniences, and God given pleasures out of a religious spirit. The Lord hated this tremendously. This pharisaical spirit is what made them mad when Jesus healed on the Sabbath. So what suffering, or burdens, do we take and what burdens do we not take? Only the ones the Lord gives us!!!!! We do not place these burdens upon anyone. We are not the Holy Spirit.
Let me deal for a moment on the economic dimension of this since it was connected to war in that blog. Your friend's, friend is playing upon good-hearted, peace-loving people with a message of guilt who's aim is to deconstruct America's military might, and economic might. These two American assets have been causes of the greatest spread of freedom in the history of the world. Within the last 75 years our military and economy have defeated some of the most oppressive regimes, many times without firing a single missile. Our free market trade policies have given countries we don't really agree much with, a reason not to attack us. Our military has intervened in genocidal tragedies to re-establish order. When we defeat a country militarily, we spend billions of our own dollars to rebuild that country. Then we hand it back over to their people so that they can determine their own destiny as a free nation. Never has a nation had so much might, and wielded it with such restraint as the United States. Please acknowledge the good that America has done.
Now, I certainly understand that a consumerist mentality can be used as a form of escape, and ultimately distract a person from what's really important. But, that doesn't mean that the entire capitalist system must be dismantled, and replaced with a socialist economic policies. Worse than rampant consumerism, is government tyrrany where they decide what I get to keep from my own labors.
Now, to the idea of extreme pacifism. Let's take it individually first and then governmentally. If someone is attacking an old lady, and you have the power to physically stop them and don't, I would see that as immoral. Maybe, you'd say Jesus would take the beating for her, so you'd offer the assailant that opportunity. The problem is that she didn't deserve the beating and neither did you. It's UNNECESSARY suffering!!!! What Jesus did for us was NECESSARY suffering because we all deserve the penalties of sin. I cannot solve poverty by renouncing my economic assets. I cannot solve hunger by never eating again. I cannot stop the violence of a terrorist by throwing down my arms. As a Jew, it is very clear to me that when my ancestors peacefully went to the concentration camps, and then the gas chambers it did not stop their awful fate. That brand of hatred is what is in the hearts of the radical Islamic terrorists. They kill anyone who will not cow to them; including targeting the mosques of their own people.
You probably disagree with much of what I've said, and I don't think I addressed everything that I said I would, but it's late. I hope that I've said enough so you see that it is possible for a Christian to truly believe that war is not always immoral and not always in conflict with the Christian Faith.

-Paul B.

Forest Gump and "The Religion of Peace"

That's a great blog, and very instructive for us today. There's also a little interesting part of that which happened before Jefferson took over. When the Barbary Pirates were doing their thing we didn't initially have a Naval Force to defend ourselves, and America was paying tribute to them so they wouldn't attack us. If I remember correctly, we were paying 20% of our GDP to these thugs. Along came James Madison and said, "We will pay millions for a Navy, but not a penny for tribute". That was the beginning of the U.S. Navy.
Like you said, the mindset of our enemy has not changed at all. There are of course peace-loving Arabs, in fact I believe the over-whelming majority would never consider participating in the heinous acts of terror that we see so much (although they are strangely silent when they should be vocally outraged with their own). Anyway, it's the small percentage, which in real numbers is millions, of the radicals Islamo-fascists that literally want to coercively take over the world. This strain of "The Religion of Peace" is extremely dangerous and can be stopped in only one way.......kill them. They cannot be reasoned with at all. They make false treaties to gain time to rebuild their troop's forces, they strap bombs onto women and children, they target innocent civilians. They are demonic, and evil to the core.........AND LET ME MAKE THIS ONE THING CLEAR..........THEY SERVE A DIFFERENT god THAN I DO. To paraphrase Forest Gump, "peaceful is as peaceful does".

-Paul B.

The Great Islamic War Continues

Happy Birthday Paul!!! You are now as old as me!

I was listening to an interview with the author of Power, Faith and Fantasy, Michael Oren. For those unfamiliar, we are now at war with Islamic terrorists for 231 years. It started when we declared independence because we lost British protection for our trade. The Barbary Wars were the first battle in this struggle with Islam. Thomas Jefferson tried to form a coalition and the Europeans turned him down, especially the French. The Europeans just paid off the Barbary Pirates. In Jefferson's report to Congress, he retells his meeting with the leader of what is now Libya. He was told that the Islamic states wanted war with the US because the Koran tells them that they must destroy all infidel states. If they die in the process, they go to heaven. This is why Jefferson had a Koran. In 1734, it was translated by George Sails and it he gave is to Jefferson so "good Christians will know their Muslim enemies and can better defeat them." This is the same Koran Kieth Ellison swore on earlier this year. The US Navy was formed for this first foreign American conflict. In 1805, Jefferson sent the Marines to Tripoli and finally, in 1815 we forced them to surrender at cannonponint.

Now, for some, this means we will never defeat Islamic terror. Since we can't win, we shouldn't try. For the rest of us, this means that we can never stop fighting Islamic terror because it can be defeated but it has to be defeated again and again in every generation. We had our eye on Communism for so long that after we defeated it in so many places, we took our eye off Islamic terror and we find ourselves where we are today. I don't believe that we will ever see at time with no enemies. After the fall of Russia, we should have already been looking for our next enemy rather than them looking to strike us. We need to learn the lessons of our forgotten American history.

-Jeremy

Sheehan for Congress

In California, Sheehan wants to run against Nancy Pelosi for Congress. By the time she runs, we will have a new President so I am not sure what she will accomplish. But I hope she does run. I hope she finds out that people don't really support her ideas on a grand scale. If for no other reason than it would be political suicide for other Congress members to side with her. Her beliefs are fringe. She is in a prison of her own making in the pursuit of someone to pay for the source of her pain. If she looks close enough though, she will find that the source of her pain is her son who defied her long-standing America hating beliefs to join the service in the first place. When she accepts the fact that her son did not share her belief system, then, maybe she can move on from this crusade.

-Jeremy

Cindy Sheehan

The circus came to Charlotte yesterday in the form of Cindy Sheehan and her band of anti-American protesters. The most disturbing thing to me is that she views her son as a victim, and not a hero. She has literally diminished his contribution to his country because of her political vendetta. The reason I know it's impossible for her to see her son as a hero is because heroism is defined by someone who sacrifices voluntarily for a greater cause or purpose. Since she thinks the War on Terror is an unjust, illegal war, she makes her son's death meaningless. Her son voluntarily re-enlisted for a 2nd tour of duty to bravely serve his country, and she has stolen his honor by painting him as a victim. I feel for her loss, but what she doesn't realize is her fiery hatred for Bush and the Republicans will not warm her heart one degree. She is destined to a life of bitterness until her son's legacy becomes more important to her than her political axe to grind.

-Paul

Generosity and Taxes

Generosity, by definition, must be voluntary. I hate the way the politicians who love "big gov't" are trying to persuade Americans, particularly religious americans, that giving more taxes is equal to charitable donations. YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE GENEROSITY. It says in the Bible that God loves a cheerful giver, and that in matters of charity we are not to give under compulsion but out of our hearts. Tax money taken coercively doesn't fit that description in any sense. I heard a guy on the radio yesterday who was arguing for "economic justice". He hated the fact that a large percentage of the wealth in the U.S. is concentrated in the hands of a few. SO WHAT!!!! If they earned it, it is rightfully theirs. Also, wealth is not a closed system. It is constantly being created by inventive, innovative people with ideas. The wealthy are not hoarding some finite amount of dollars. They are just making lots of good decisions on how to invest their money to create more wealth. How did Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sam Walton, Henry Ford........etc. create their fortunes? They came up with innovative products, or new business models to create wealth. If people studied the wealthy they would understand that it's available to anyone who would attract it, and master it.
Contrast that with the static economies of non-capitalist countries. Africa is the richest continent in natural resources, but is terribly underdeveloped because the financial structures of capitalism are not there to invest in the African people's entrepreneurial ideas. Peaceful, democratic societies with capitalist economic policies will always thrive. Capitalism embodies idealism, and hope for something in it's earliest stages being able to grow and bear lots of fruit. I LOVE CAPITALISM!!!!!!

-Paul

P.S. - If the government was really interested in me being charitable it wouldn't cap the the amount of charitable donations eligible for a tax deduction. I want lots of money so I can give most of it away!!!!!!

It's Worse Than You Think!!!

I pulled this off the Cato Institute website:

Today, 70 cents of every dollar goes not to poor people, but to government bureaucrats and others who serve the poor. Few private charities have the bureaucratic overhead and inefficiency of government programs.

Not only is our money taken but 70% is lost in paper transfer. How could any "Business" stay in business with 30% of it's revenue to spend when it always finds something else to spend money on? And that Madison statement is very telling now that the Federal government gives benevolence to nearly every country in the world, not to mention the well spent money on the United Nations and NATO.

-Jeremy

The Common Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Happy Birthday Jen, Jen!!!! There is a true story of James Madison (essentially, the author of the Constitution) who was at the time a senator, confronting the rest of the senate on a matter of charity. The senate wanted to appropriate $15,000 to assist some refugees from another country, and Madison's response was something to the effect of 'I cannot place my finger on any article in the Constitution that empowers us to appropriate money for the purpose of benevolence.' Pretty powerful stuff coming from the dude who wrote it. Now fast forward to today when the vast majority of Federal spending is for "benevolence" (welfare, medicare, Social Security, medicaid......etc.) I put the word benevolence in quotes because they are actually doing more harm than good. The gov't delivers about 1 out of every 10 dollars allocated for a certain purpose, to that purpose. They are extremely inefficient, bureaucratic, and slow!!!!! The vast tendency of people who receive a hand out is to not work to get out of their situation. The gov't is literally incentivizing people to have a lack of initiative.
There's something so basic that Americans don't seem to understand. If the Gov't coercively takes your money it is the same as stealing.......yes even if it's for good purposes. If I mug a rich guy and use all his money to feed and clothe a homeless guy, I still committed a crime. I HAVE NO RIGHT TO HIS PROPERTY no matter what the perceived inequity is. It is the same for the Gov't and taxes that are coercively taken. The Constitution provides only for the levying of taxes in the form of a consumption tax, or in the time of war a temporary income tax, and that's it!!!!! No death tax, no income tax, no capital gains tax.......etc. And that would be the Common Good, the bad, and the ugly.

-Paul

Heroes first? Heroes only!

How about Heroes instead of pork? The constitution only provided for our heroes, people to protect us. It is so unfortunate that "the common good" is too broad a phrase for some people to understand. Security and protection are the only things guaranteed to be provided by the Federal Government.

A special Happy Birthday to my wife Jennifer on this Friday the 13th.

-Jeremy

July 4th Reflections and Heroes

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. I love what it represents and how it's celebrated. Fireworks are not only celebratory, but they are symbolic of the battles that were fought for our freedom. Every year people take out their flags, and red, white, and blue clothes and join to celebrate our unity - not diversity. I love the ethnic diversity in the country, but for one day its great to come together simply as AMERICANS.
Now this leads to an issue that's been on my heart for awhile. While I believe there is a lot of extravagant spending going on with our taxes, I think there's one group of people who totally deserve a better deal. They are our 1st responders at home and our soldiers abroad. It's insane that a family would have to struggle financially after the death or injury of a loved one sacrificing their personal well-being for the common good. Anyone in that situation should have an automatic 100,000 per year (tax-free) pension kick in to support their dependents. It is the very least that society can do for these heroes. Instead, I hear of collections being taken for the families of fallen officers and soldiers. Those are good causes, but why is there a shortfall to begin with?
I actually heard some Charlotte officials spreading fear to the public that if their bloated train tax wasn't approved in the fall that they would have to cut police, and fire budgets back. Excuse me...........!!!! Playing politics with the most important and legitimate uses of government. We have a tremendous crisis of priorities. If a politician is unable to prioritize spending they will always misuse the tax money. My point is simple - HEROES BEFORE PORK!!!!!

Fairness and language

Very true what you said Paul but I can assure you it is far worse in California. On the fairness doctrine, there actually was once a need to be fair as their were such technological limits to diversity of opinion. Today, you have conservative talk radio, liberal talk radio, financial talk radio, sports talk radio, sleazy talk radio. Add in the Internet, you can create a new format all together. As a matter of fact, I don't really care if they reinstate the fairness doctrine because I find myself listening to everything on podcast now. I would probably have to start paying for it but it would be worth it to me. What I don't understand is why this only pertains to auditory airwaves and not visual airwaves. Why not a conservative sitting next to Katie Couric doing his or her 15 minutes? No matter what, the people own the airwaves, not the legislators and the people's freedom of speech cannot be stopped.

Let's talk about fairness now. What I find really unfair is that so many immigrants can be lazy and contribute nothing to society these days. We let it happen by allowing the government to put every form imaginable in foreign language after foreign language. They pay for interpreters in hospital and jails and government offices. It is one thing if your a tourist, you have a consulate to go to. But if you want to live here, you have to "live" here. That means, communicate with your fellow countrymen. Make an effort and be a good citizen. Don't try to live your life in America as if you never left your home country. THIS, is your new country and you should feel that way, especially if you took great risks to come here and you see the reward you have gained.

-Jeremy

Are You Smarter Than A Four Year Old?

As a disclaimer, I would like to say upfront that I love the Spanish Language. My Grandmother is Puerto Rican, and consequently I know many cool cuss words in that language. However, my wife came back from the park with my kids tonight and told me that my 4 year old son, Jaden, said "Mommy why is everyone here speaking Spanish?". Such a simple comment, so intuitive, yet so insightful. He asked the question because he lives in America. I can guarantee you that he'd never ask that question if he visited Mexico. If a language barrier hampers his ability to communicate in the sandbox, imagine what it does to commerce, finance, entrepreneurship, and basic community living. It divides!!!!! It does not unite. It is a practical reality that anyone who immigrates to any country, even a multi-ethnic one like America, must learn the prevailing language to assimilate into the culture. So ask yourself, pro-amnesty readers, "are you smarter than a four year old?"

-Paul

FAIRNESS

I wanted to further the conversation about "fairness". I said earlier that good policy creates fair processes, and doesn't coercively create "fair" or equal outcomes. When government is outcome based they wind up stealing from one entity to give to another. A perfect example is the "fairness doctrine" which congress is trying to start up again. This policy basically tries to thwart conservative talk radio by claiming that they dominate the airwaves, which they do. It states that for every conservative show there needs to be another show of the opposite opinion......liberal. This supposedly creates "fairness".
Let's examine why conservative talk radio is so popular and if they have succeeded because of some sort of unfair tactic. Up until Rush Limbaugh's ascension to fame in the early 90's there were very limited viewpoints of news, and most of them had a liberal bias to them. It certainly wasn't as pronounced as now, but it was definitely there. Just look back at who the New York Times and others have supported as presidential nominees in an election.......always the Democrat. That practice still astonishes me given that they are supposed to be unbiased.
When Limbaugh came around he began saying things that much of America believed but hadn't heard said on the airwaves. He began giving a voice to a large group of people's views. People listened........a lot of people listened!!!! Radio station managers and owners realized that if the syndicated him nationally more people would listen. So they did, and guess what - he became the most listened to radio personality of all time, and still is. Every day 10's of millions of people literally vote one by one, by tuning in, as to whether or not they like him. It's the democratic process in action. To legislate against it would be to disenfranchise those who want to listen to conservative talk radio, and economically steal from the sponsors and radio stations, by forcing them to program inferior - less listened to shows. I ask you, is that fairness??????
Interestingly, the same reasoning is at the root of all sorts of other issues, like graduated tax rates that are heavier on the rich, racial quotas and affirmative action.......etc It's a lovely SOCIALISTIC package of bad policy.
Could you imagine applying that same process to an election? 'Well, that state already has one Democrat Senator, it's only FAIR that we allow a Republican to take the other slot'. Are you kidding????? That's insanity - but that is what happens when you try to ensure fair outcomes instead of fair processes.

Random Thought #1

Here's a random thought for the Liberals and Bush haters out there:

If President Bush is so stupid, what does that make Al Gore and John Kerry?

If Al Gore is incapable of winning the presidency, inluding his home state, why do you eat up everything he says about Global Warming?

-Jeremy

We ain't Rome

There was actually a book that just came out that asked this very question, "Are we Rome?" Bet we aren't. One of the main reasons we are not is that we still lead the world in ideas and ingenuity. You also have to look at the fact that taxes and the cost of living are so high that a;most everyone works, including what used to be the traditional housewife. We are the most productive country in the world and we do not seem to be slowing down

The one thing that I liked about the immigration bill is that it required English for citizenship. This is the start to accepting American culture. It looks like the cloture vote won't go through though. I was listening to Tammy Bruce this weekend and she was saying that while polls say the general population is quite dissatisfied with the Congress, when asked how Congress was handling the immigration bill 97% were dissatisfied. As she put it, can you get 97% of people to agree about anything? Food, Sex, anything? And they say Bush is the worst president, how about this being the worst Congress?

-Jeremy

The Fall of Rome

There are aspects of illegal immigration and the effect it has in our country that remind me of the Roman Empire before it fell. Roman citizens were so prosperous right before the end that a roman citizen rarely had to work. They had a permanent underclass of foreign non-Roman citizens that did "all the jobs that Romans wouldn't do". In fact a large percentage of the Roman Army was made up of these non-citizens who had no allegiance to Rome. When the Huns invaded, the underclass turned on the Romans and Rome fell.
Whenever a country lets foreigners in, even if they intend to work, the Country runs a huge risk of subversion. It must be clear when someone enters America that they are on our side. That's why a person must do all sorts of things to become a citizen: learn the language, be gainfully employed, learn the history, renounce all other allegiances...........etc. This is the only way to begin to ensure a stable culture.
Compare that with the stated goals of organizations like La Raza, who want to take back the South Western U.S. for Mexico through illegal immigration. If this bill passes this week, our nation will be in deep trouble.....AY CARAMBA!!!!

Context is everything

When you look at that sentence in the Declaration of Independence, I don't know how you can argue that these men that formed our country were not Christian men. Many want to remove all things religion from this country. Without all religion, you get China, North Korea or Communist Russia. No one wants that.

You have to acknowledge that at the time this was written, a slave was not legally a person and did not have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It was a Christian nation that saw its error and corrected itself at great cost. I say this as a Jew. I worship the same God because I believe that this is foretold in the Old Testament but I hate it when people like Christopher Hitchens calls these people lunatics for believing in God when they bring so much good to this world today. Or Rosie O'Donnell who thinks that Christians in the US are as dangerous as Taliban in Afghanistan. American Christians are not the European Christians of the past 1500 years. People on the left need to move ahead with the times and stop seeing the Christian right as a threat to their freedom.

With regard to abortion, I think there are cases where it is reasonable for the court to appoint representation to the unborn where it deems necessary. This, I believe, is the "Liberty" you speak of with regard to the new child. It would seem that if you waited 6-8 months to get an abortion, there is something wrong with you. Just give it a month or two and make a couple's dream come true through adoption. People really should seek to do good and what is better than giving a childless couple a chance at a family. This is the opposite of being selfish.

-Jeremy

First things First

I wanted to explore the Declaration Principles a little more, because there are a few difficult issues that create conflict within the Principles. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." In an issue like slavery, it would seem that the right to Liberty of the slave is at odds with the right of the slave owners "pursuit of Happiness" (property rights). Since we know that slavery is wrong - period, what principle allows us to justify disenfranchising the slave owner of his "property"? Two unalienable rights in conflict with each other, how do we resolve this?
The key to this, and so many other policy dilemmas, is remembering one simple thing: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are in a practical order. Without life, liberty and owning property are not possible at all. Without liberty, (as in the example of the slave) owning property is impossible. The order of these rights are in the order of necessary importance, therefore situations where life is an issue will trump any other concern of property or anything else.......etc.
If we apply this to Abortion it becomes clear what the right thing is to do. In the pro-choice argument, they often argue that the baby is her property "get your laws off my body" or that it's an invasion of her privacy (Liberty). But Life should always trump them all.

Freedom to choose

To quote Wesley from The Princess Bride, "Life is pain. Anyone that tells you differently is selling something."

The wonderful thing about America is the Freedom of choice. It is daunting because we have to much choice in the US. But our choices shape our outcome. And failure is an option. It is fair to not succeed because it makes you want to try harder and it allows you to learn from your lessons. If you try enough and fail enough, you will succeed with tremendous character.

It is new in America that the rich are so hated. Taxes do not prevent the rich from becoming richer but they do prevent the poor from becoming richer. For example, nearly every Democratic candidate wants to raise taxes for Americans making over $200,000/yr. If you make $40,000/yr. how many people do you employ? If you make $200,000/yr. how many people do you employ? If the government takes more of your money, won't you employ less? Doesn't that hurt the person making less than $200,000/yr? More taxes is not the answer to higher government revenues. The less you tax, the higher the revenues. We have the all-time highest corporate tax revenues right now. Politicians should not be trying to find new ways to collect revenues though, they should be finding ways to solve problems that allow Americans to keep their money. IRAs, HSAs, ESAs and tax deductible donations are the ideal for economic growth and personal responsibility.

-Jeremy

My country, my home

Immigration is a necessary evil as most groups have less children. Obviously, you are doing your part Paul. With the impending retirement of the Baby Boomers, we do not have enough immigration for future jobs needs. The statement that illegals do jobs Americans won't do absurd. Many illegals, particularly in construction make more than many Americans. After the Swift meat plant was raided, the were very long lines for Americans to get jobs at the rate of $18-20/hr.

Take someone like Frank Sinatra. He was the son of Italian immigrants but he did not even have a hint of an Italian accent. The one thing I actually like in the immigration bill is that there is a requirement to learn English and English is one of the most uniting factors in the American experience. How can you expect to be successful if you do not learn to communicate with your non-foreign neighbors? Or for that matter, the others from around the world whos languange is also not English but want the same experience.

Things will never get better if people rely on the government though. Americans are supposed to be self-sufficient and help there neighbors in need. It gets very hard to do that when the government mandates that they will do it for you. We must pursue the original intent of immigration, the opportunity to live in the land of opportunity as one.

-Jeremy

Equality vs. Equity

There are some who say that equality is the greatest of the American virtues. In a sense it is true since "all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights......life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". The idea of intrinsic human worth broke the bonds of slavery, and is the cornerstone principle of all the noble gains of the early civil rights movement. But the voices who are championing equality nowadays seem to be arguing something other than intrinsic worth and therefore equal opportunities. They are not trying to secure Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. They're fighting for equal outcomes, and there is a very subtle, dangerous distinction to be made. In essence they are demanding the aquirement of happiness - not the pursuit - as an unalienable right. They demand racial and gender quotas, economic equity, universal healthcare and education (even for non-citizens). All of these things are in line with socialism and communism which absolutely names "equity" as it's bedrock principle. Of course never mind that communism doesn't work.
Let me state a fact, not an opinion - LIFE IS NOT FAIR and fair outcomes can never be guaranteed, anyone that tells you they can is LYING. I just want a system of government that ensures a Fair Process, not "fair outcomes". In my opinion the most overlooked unalienable right we have is the RIGHT TO PROPERTY (pursuit of happiness). The government has no right based on the Constitution to my property. Yes, that's right - payroll taxes are illegitimate. Consumer taxes are the only legitimate mode of taxation provided by the founders, (except in wartime).
I have no problem with taxes, they just need to be levied in a non-coercive way, thereby preserving the power with the people. If we wanted a tax break in a consumer tax scenario, we would just control our spending. It's that simple. Once again, understanding the founding principles will keep us off all the philosophical slippery slopes.

Amnesty, Sham-nesty

I love LEGAL immigration. All of our relatives immigrated legally to the U.S. within the last 100 years or so. They came with the intent of assimilating in American life and culture. All of their cultural background was brought with them to enhance the American cultural scene, a unity in diversity mindset. They learned the language, became entrepreneurs and carried their own weight. What troubles me with the Illegal Immigrants is that a huge percentage of them care nothing for assimilation, and in the height of arrogance demand more handouts and preferential treatment. There are organized groups like La Raza whose stated goal is to incrementally take back the South Western U.S. for Mexico. OY!!!!!!!
I've had the privilege of attending a Naturalization Ceremony. Those people had to swear an oathe renouncing their allegiance to any foreign govt., or leader and to be willing to take up arms to defend the U.S. if need be. I've never been more proud to be an American. However, is that the mindset of those sneaking across the border? I think not!!!!!
Another thing that bugs me is that this issue is being framed in economic terms only. 'Well they're just doing jobs that Americans won't do', or 'They're paying taxes at store too'. Let's set aside the questionable truth of those statements for a minute. SO WHAT!!!!!! There is so much more to being an American than paying taxes and working. The most important parts of being an American are the invisible things. The ideals of freedom, and liberty are two of the most important. Those ideals are completely undermined by their loyalty to the agenda of a dependent society. Through their socialistic experiences in their native countries, many have been conditioned to believe that government's role is to take care of their every need.
There is an economic, and social tipping point that America is getting dangerously close to. The economic tipping point will kill the goose that's trying to lay golden eggs, and the social tipping point will kill the ideals of freedom, and liberty. America will then cease to be America as we know it.

Death and Taxes

You have given me some good things to think about. There is no question to me that if you wait until your third trimester, you have murdered a premie. However, having two miscarriages in the family, I cannot go around telling people I lost two children. We need to change the hearts and minds of women on this issue. If you read Freakonomics, you know that economics can change behavior. So, why don't we give a $1,000 tax credit to every woman that puts her baby up for adoption? There is a shortage of adoptable children in the US and always a family in need of someone to love.

As for taxes, I don't care too much as long as it is flat. Although, I think the best method is to model the Federal Reserve and make the rate adjustable to the state of the economy. Can you imagine the response to a 8% tax on income or purhcases when the economy is sluggish and how we could stave off inflation at 18% on income or purchases?

So, Paul, you think the immigration bill is gonna make it this time?

-Jeremy

Founding Principles

I believe all good law comes back to the Founding Principles. Abortion shouldn't be legal just like murder shouldn't be legal, it violates the baby's inalienable right to life. We have no problem with a blanket law against murder, and since that is what abortion is......... The idea that exceptions should be made for rape and incest doesn't change the nature of the act against the child. The circumstances for the mother are absolutely tragic, and merits our compassion, but abortion is a crime against the child.
I've only seen a handful of bumper stickers in my entire life that I like. Most are just red meat for those who agree, but I love the truth and compassion in the one that said "Abortion: one dead, one wounded". I've know so many women who have had an abortion when they were young and never realized the emotional ramifications of it until years later. The grief, regret, and pain are incredibly traumatic.
Now in response to your tax argument 'that it's fairer for senior citizens'. I like the fair tax a lot more than what we have because everyone carries their fair share, but not because senior citizens get a break. Remember.......PRINCIPLE!!!!!! If seniors get a break, who else deserves a break......? We think we're doing the poor a favor by having them not pay taxes. I don't think that's so. I believe if everyone contributes it not only will foster a more responsible society, but create a more active electorate. This would begin to place the power back where it belongs......with the people. Yeah, self-government ------Boo big government!!!!

Declaration Principle of my own

Thank you Paul, I am feeling old at 35 even if they do say 60 is the new 40.

Now, to the debate!

I agree that the question of evolution is religously charged but I beleive it tells us nothing about a candidate. After all, I think Mormons are nuts but I still think someone like Mitt Romney would make a good president. My dream response would have been, "What do you think Wolf? We are in the Oval office deciding on the origins of life all day long? This affects our stand on Terrorism, Healthcare or Taxes?" I was suprised to learn at a secular college that Darwin was a Christian that believed in Creation. He never even used the word evolution, only the phrases "change over time" and natural selection. Therefore, it is possible to believe in creation and evolution at the same time.

With regard to the Declaration of Independence, it is quite telling that the founder wrote "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Nowhere is it said, with good intention, that we have the right to happiness or the right to privacy. Abortion rights are predicated on the right of privacy. While I abhor abortion myself, I cannot see legislating it. There are too many shades of gray with regard to rape, incest, life of the mother etc. But for the same reason, we should not have so much government restriction in our lives that limit our liberty and the pursuit thereof. Paul, I am with you on a new tax system, however, I have come to favor the flat tax because it is more fair to the elderly who are on a fixed income and have allready paid more than their fair share of taxes.

-Jeremy

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Jeremy!!!!!!! You're old, so you better bring some wisdom to these blogs.

-Paul

My First Blog

I remember my first Power Point application........I called it my first PP. But anyway, this is more momentous and important than that, although I do hope to sprinkle our world-saving opinions with humor. Jeremy and I are only a month and a half apart in age. He is the more aged one, so I will always give him the courtesy that is due his advanced years. We both love to delve into political philosophy and debate, which in this very passive political climate is a good thing. Neither one of us tows the company line of a particular party, although our philosophy definitely aligns more with the Conservative, Republican side. I expect we'll give Republicans and Democrats a real tongue lashing from time to time, but always in a with a consistent Conservative rationale behind it.
From the onset I want to clarify that there is a difference between facts and opinions. Ideally, a person bases their opinions on all the facts in the matter. This is what we hope to do as we give our opinions. I will not caprisciously state my whimsy because it sounds good.........at least not in important political discourse. I hope to give you strong, principled opinions based on well-reasoned thought. Here is my first:
The Declaration Principle - A few weeks ago in the Republican Debate they were asked if they believed in creation or evolution. On the face of it, it seems like a zinger of a question, and almost irrelevant because it's religious in nature. I'll tell you the response I wish one of the candidates would have given. 'Not only do I believe that we were created, but as the Declaration of Independence says, We are all created equal. If there is a candidate who doesn't believe that we were all created, and created equal I think that disqualifies them from holding any American Political office. This Declaration Principle of being Created, and being created equal is the thought that broke the back of slavery, gave women the right to vote, and deligitimizes the so-called right to abortion. We are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights, the first of which is LIFE.......no more killing babies!!!!!!!! They are not property........they are humans and therefore have human rights. The right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness is the philosophical basis for the idea of limited Government Power. If you study the Constitution you'll realize the care that the founders took in limiting the role of Government. By the way.......this principle is what deligitimizes the income tax. They are taking your property, coercively and illegitimately. All taxes should be levied at the cash register as a consumer tax, that way they are voluntary and not coercive.
Well, there it is; my political philosophy in a well-reasoned nutshell. It all comes from the Declaration Principles......not a bad place to start from.
Finally, please let us know what you think about our blogs......love it - hate it - whatever. I know we'll let each other know when we disagree.
OK -------Blog On!!!!

Jeremy's Introduction

Welcome to the our new Blog : Jeremy Schwaeber

I am currently the owner of Laptop Parts Expert in Irvine, California. My website can be found at www.laptoppartsexpert.com. I have been in the PC parts business for the past 14 years. While I listen to a lot of talk radio, I have always had a passion for discussing politics, sports and television. I am libertarian in my views so I call myself a conservative. I am married for 13 years with a 17 month old son. You can see his blog at http://sammys-blog.blogspot.com. You won't see a cuter child, and I'm not even biased.

My cousin Paul is an extremely intelligent and witty person I admire. We have not talked often in the past but we get along fabulously. I look forward to many discussions.