LaymansPoint

Awaking the Giant

2014-05-09T13:10:00.001-04:00

What seems apparent is that the American people want something better than what has historically been available to them in politics. Washington is viewed by most as being broken, and for a long time. There is little doubt that in 2008, voters wanted and voted for change. Change was so badly sought after that we may have over reached. What resulted? We elected the most inexperienced person ever to the highest office and allowed two of the most liberal socialist leaning individuals ever to lead the House and Senate. Some began to awaken to the realities of government and the change began again in 2012 must continue if we are ever to recover from the poor politics of the past.

With the left socialist agenda in control for the first years of the current administration, socialists and liberals have been exposed for what they really are and the American people are not having any of it. Socialism is not what the American people want and now that they have had a taste of it, they are retracting from it in droves. Once the people became fully aware of just how irresponsible the liberal agenda really is, the majority of hard working Americans have rejected their policy’s. The health care issue and “cap and trade” are but two examples of how they think the country should be governed. Imagine the same philosophy in other areas. They want the government to control, your doctor, what type of car you drive, how much electricity you use, what you eat and the list goes on and on.

Growing the government and taking control of entire industries using tax dollars to fund the programs is a recipe for the devastations of the American economy. It is not the government that through capital risk management and innovation grew the largest economy ever to exist. It is not government that will bring us through this. It is the American people who start and run private companies that will provide the jobs and economic stimulus necessary to pull us up from the ashes of economic ruin.

Class warfare had been the weapon used to polarize the public and in 2008, it worked. We are one nation under God and all opportunities should be available to all who are willing to do what is necessary to succeed without excessive government intervention or intrusion. We are a government of the people. We are not people for the government.

Let us all hope that the majority will finally get it and get rid of as many of the politicians as we can at every election cycle that orchestrated the tax, spend and control government that we currently have.

VOTE NEW!

The whole of the American People are the Giant being awakened.

Woman President in Cards?? Not likely!

2014-05-07T10:02:00.000-04:00

On a radio talk show, the topic was: would you vote for a women President? And, are women as qualified to be President? I thought about that for a minute. You see Presidents are rare, very rare. The first criteria for becoming President are that you must have been born in the United States. Now, I don’t know how many people have been born in the US, perhaps a billion or two or three or ten for all I know. Of the billions born on US soil, only 44 of them have been a United States President.

With the chances of becoming President 1 in billions, no matter what your gender, race or religion may be, I would say statistically, your chances are slim no matter what. In fact, you probably stand a much better chance at winning the lottery. There are many elements that must be aligned properly for your chances to be improved. Over the next 200 years, there will be billions more people born in the US, but there are not likely to be more than another 40 or so who become President.

So, when you look at the subject from such a large perspective, who could know the limits on Presidential qualifications? The constitution of United States provides for the only limits to which I am aware, you must be born in the United States and have obtained the age of 35. Once born here, what you do with the rest of your life, and the example of leadership and experience are what determines your qualifications to be President.

Many suggest that Hillary Clinton will run. Other than being born here, I am not aware of anything she has done that qualifies her to be President. Many do not appreciate the way she got her senate seat and her time as Secretary of State was unremarkable except for the Benghazi debacle in which she clearly failed to perform. Others suggest Condoleezza Rice should be a presidential candidate. Again, other than being born here, I am not aware of her being responsible to voters and budgets which would be important to me. Her knowledge of national security and foreign policy, particularly related to Russia, would be helpful, but I think you must demonstrate experience in the real world outside politics or academia. We already elected a President who did not meet these challenges and look where that got us.

The bottom line is: The timing for when the US will send a woman to the Whitehouse is when a woman makes herself the best candidate without regard to gender, race or religion. When that happens, we will have a woman President. Will either of the women most mentioned today be the first female President? Mrs. Clinton does not process all of the Presidential criteria and that is not likely to change. Ms. Rice does not process all of the Presidential criteria, but that could change.

One thing is certain, we don't need another president that is as unqualified as the current.

Only In America

2014-02-16T15:29:00.003-05:00

10. Only in America ... Could politicians talk about the greed of the rich at a $35,000.00 a plate campaign fund-raising event.

9. Only in America ... Could people claim that the government still discriminates against black Americans when they have a black President, a black Attorney General and roughly 20% of the federal workforce is black while only 14% of the population is black. 40+% of all federal entitlements goes to black Americans 3X the rate that go to whites, 5X the rate that go to Hispanics!

8. Only in America ... Could they have had the two people most responsible for our tax code, Timothy Geithner (the head of the Treasury Department) and Charles Rangel (who once ran the Ways and Means Committee), BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher taxes.

7. Only in America ... Can they have terrorists kill people in the name of Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims might be harmed by the backlash.

6. Only in America ... Would they make people who want to legally become American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens of thousands of dollars for the privilege, while they discuss letting anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just 'magically' become American citizens.

5. Only in America ... Could the people who believe in balancing the budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as "extremists."

4. Only in America ... Could you need to present a driver's license to cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

3. Only in America ... Could people demand the government investigate whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. Oil company (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes (Nike).

2. Only in America ... Could the government collect more tax dollars from the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a Trillion dollars more than it has per year - for total spending of $7 Million PER MINUTE, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

1. Only in America ... Could the rich people - who pay 86% of all income taxes - be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.

"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in five years there would be a shortage of sand."

– Nobel prize-winning economist Milton Friedman (1912-2006)

Just The Facts About National Debt

2013-12-18T11:14:00.004-05:00

The U.S. Treasury manages the U.S. debt through its Bureau of the Public Debt. The Bureau has broken out the debt into two main categories: Intragovernmental Holdings, at $5 trillion, and Debt Held by the Public, at $12 trillion (as of October 24, 2013).

Let’s look a little deeper into who we owe.

Intragovernmental Holdings – Approximately $5 Trillion of the Federal debt is held by some 230 government agencies. The largest of which is the Social Security Trust Fund which is owed $2.8 Trillion or 16 percent of the total U.S. debt. What this means is that taxpayers provided the funds necessary to fund all of these agencies including Social Security and these agencies loaned the money to our government and they spent it. All of it. This does not include more than $1.4 Trillion of the total load provided by the Federal Reserve which Treasury classifies as Public Debt.

Debt Held by the Public – The other $12 Trillion of U.S. debt is held by Foreign governments, investors, banks, mutual funds, pension funds, and treasury notes. Approximately one-fifth is held by other governmental entities, like the Federal Reserve and state and local governments. China for example is owed $1.3 Trillion or 8 percent of the total debt and Japan is owed $1.1 Trillion. Compare that to the Federal reserve who is owed $1.4 trillion. They loaned money that was printed out of thin air.

The bottom line here is that taxpayer’s paid their taxes. The various agencies were funded from those taxpayer dollars. So much so that the agencies had the resources remaining that enabled them to loan the money to the government so they could spend more. Now that nearly all of the agencies are tapped out and facing budget cuts and the Public has lost confidence, there is nowhere else for them to borrow. That is where the Federal Reserve comes in and prints money to buy U.S. Treasuries or debt.

We have to recognize that the vast majority of the National Debt is owed to U.S. federal government agencies and private U.S. investors. Again, other than the Federal Reserve, the agency funds which are provided to the government in the form of debt were paid or provided by taxpayers once and will now have to be paid again in some way. The government borrowed money you already paid in taxes and now it is in the position that they will need taxpayers to pay for all of that again. The media and others would have you believe that China and other foreign entities own America. Nothing could be further from the truth. The two largest foreign holders of debt, China and Japan only represent about 15% of the total debt load.

So, if the government defaults, it’s not foreign governments that stand to lose the most. It’s you and me baby. Taxpayer’s are on the hook for all of this and why we keep electing the idiots that put us in this position is crazy. We have to vote for new people to breakdown the power structure. Vote NEW!

When Capitalism Meets Politics

2013-11-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

Many of us wonder why an idea such as the Keystone Pipeline that seems to make sense gets so much political push back from the Whitehouse. Others wonder why the renowned investor Warren Buffet would seem to support the President and the many ideas coming from the inept government he controls. Since most well informed people are puzzled by both conundrums, perhaps we should consider whether there is a connection, a common element or even quid-pro-quo.

Could it be that the EPA is nothing more than an instrument used to keep the Keystone pipeline from being developed. What if the real reason the pipeline is being met with such resistance has nothing to do with the environment.

Let’s consider a few important elements and then try to put the puzzle together. Who would benefit the most from the construction of the Keystone Pipeline? Answer; domestic oil production and imports from Canada rather the OPEC along with American consumers who would reap benefits resulting from lower energy cost. What about the environmental impact? Well there you go. Which is safer for the environment, a pipeline or thousands of rail cars and trucks moving the oil. The oil is going to move as long as there is demand so why not move it by pipeline since pipelines are by far the safest and most economic and environmentally friendly means of transportation when all factors are considered. There is no plausible argument to the contrary. Pipelines are safer overall.

Now, if this whole argument is really not about the environment, then what else could it be. Well, let’s contemplate who benefits the most if the pipeline is not built. Hmmm, let see. Well you have the railroad, tank car manufacturers, trucking companies and the refiners who are processing the oil currently once transported to them by rail or truck. Since the pipeline would move the oil further south toward the gulf, then it seems clear that railroads, tank car manufacturers and refineries would suffer some economic harm if the pipeline were built.

So if we believe that this really is not an environmental issue, that it is more about political clout and economics for certain political benefactor’s, then we have to identify who is using the EPA as the tool to protect its political and economic interests.

Here is where the intrigue unfolds and the puzzle starts to take form. You see, the convergence of capitalism and politics often makes for strange bedfellows. Either can elicit uncharacteristic behavior in even the most accomplished and revered among us. With all of this under consideration, add a couple more facts and you will start to see the picture. You see Warren Buffet and/or Berkshire Hathaway own Burlington Northern Railroad, Union Tank Car Company, has a big stake in Exxon which refines much of the oil being transported and GE who builds trains. So when you wonder how a guy like Warren Buffet could ever espouse support for some of the most ridiculous policy maneuvers of the current administration, perhaps the picture becomes more clear. Buffet, like the rest of us is only protecting his interests. There are other heavyweight investors playing the game too. For example, Carl Icahn now owns American Rail Car company and there are other examples.

While the EPA is charged by many to be the scoundrel that inhibits growth in the economy in certain sectors, did it ever occur to you that the EPA may be nothing more than a political tool used by some to protect their political and economic interests. If you doubt that, look at what the EPA is doing to the coal industry. Is that really about the environment or more about helping the renewable energy companies that produce solar and wind energy that cannot survive without taxpayer subsidies. Now you know.

In Who Does Your Future Lie

2013-11-07T13:15:00.000-05:00

I think it is time to ask ourselves some very important questions. There was a time when nearly your entire future was determined predominantly by your own accomplishments. The choices you make throughout life set the tone for what your future could achieve. If you set goals and worked to achieve them with only a reasonable amount of dedication, you were likely to succeed in many ways. If you got back up after being knocked down, if you did the right things even when nobody was looking, if you cared for others, loved your dog and stayed true to yourself, then success was yours to be had.

Now it seems that government is taking an ever increasing role in our daily lives and I for one am not comfortable with those in leadership who think they can guide my life better than I. Do we really want people who cannot balance a budget, spend nearly 50 percent more than they bring in, lie, cheat and steal from hard working Americans to be in charge of our future? Never in the history of our great nation has government been more intrusive into our daily lives. This phenomenon appears to be growing at an exponential rate toward what seems to have moved beyond socialism and heading for a Marxist style communist government takeover.

For nearly two hundred years, the engine that drove the American economy and provided the single greatest economic superpower ever to be known, was the American people and the companies in which we all worked. Not government. Government was nothing more than a tolerable annoyance that did provide one very important service, national defense. Our military and the many who served are the reason we live in a free society.

Other than national defense, government has done little to improve the lives of the majority of the people and continues to stand in the way of economic progress. The reason seems simple. Government now has become an entity within which a life of it’s own has emerged. It sees itself as the ultimate authority that must guide every segment of the population and economy. That is not the recipe that created the greatest society ever to exist. The quality of life in this nation and around the world has improved at a far greater pace since the existence of the United States than at any time in history. This is a result of American ingenuity where the American dream could be achieved if you held yourself to some very basic principles. Get an education, work hard, be honest and take care of your family.

Government creates nothing. It has nothing except that which it took from the people and companies that employ us. It wastes our resources and demands more. It has created class warfare to keep the focus off of them. They are the culprits, they villainize corporations because they can’t vote. Whereas corporations are nothing more than groups of people that create, employ and drive the American economy.

It is time we ask the question. Which system is likely to create the best opportunities for our future. One where government continues to adopt Marxist principles that have failed every time it was employed over the last 100 years. Or, the peoples government where government worked for the people as it was designed for more than 200 years.

In who would you rather your future be guided? Group A or Group B below: Group A is a list of entrepreneurs who collectively employed millions of Americans and helped to make this nation great. Group B is a list of life-time politicians and media types who have created nothing but debt, deficits and lined their own pockets at the expense of the people. In no particular order, review the names and decide where yours and your children’s best future lies.

Group A Group B

Bill Gates Barack Obama

JP Morgan Nancy Pelosi

Andrew Carnegie Harry Reid

Henry Ford Al Gore

Steve Jobs Rahm Emanuel

Thomas Edison Hillary Clinton

John D. Rockefeller Barney Frank

Charles Merrill John Kerry

Aaron Montgomery Ward Eric Holder

Levi Strauss Dick Durbin

William Harley Joe Biden

Arthur Davidson Steny Hoyer

Sam Walton Paul Krugman

Jeff Bezos Chuck Shumer

JW Marriott Henry Waxman

Conrad Hilton Valarie Garrett

Adolphus Busch George Soros

Ray Croc Peter Lewis

Richard Sears Dennis Kucinich

WK Kellogg Howard Dean

Milton Hershey Charles Rangel

Walt Disney Maureen Dowd

If you think your future will be better served by the type of people in group A, then you better start voting for folks that understand free markets, free society and limited government as supported by the constitution. If you chose group B, then I suggest you re-consider after researching the facts. Vote new! ALL NEW!~

Time To Cut Through The Bullshit!

2013-10-27T11:19:00.002-04:00

Some might be offended by the use of such words in a title. I apologize for breaching your sensitivities if that is the case but Bullshit is about the only thing coming out of Washington these days. By the way, I am really not sorry and I am not politically correct either. Contrary to the bullshit artist’s in Washington’s belief, I am free to say whatever I want. To express my opinion in a manner of my choosing.

So let’s cut through the bullshit and examine a few issues that are on the minds of most of us:

Affordable Healthcare Act: Catastrophe. Need to start over. This is the most ill-conceived piece of legislation imaginable and how we can accept that certain of the politician continue to defend it is nothing more than political bullshit. No body without an hidden agenda can possibility support it the way it is written. To continue in the effort only exemplifies the continued arrogant incompetence that plagues our government. Oh, and by the way, they exempted themselves from it. Now that is Bullshit!

Immigration: Yes, we are all for the most part immigrants or descendants thereof. We have laws on the books now to address immigration. I suggest we stop the bullshit and enforce the laws we have before trying to create new ones simply to bolster political positions. Secure the boarders, stop bringing refugees into the country that can offer little to the American way. I know some will wave the humanitarian flag, but we have US citizens that we can help first. Laws duly passed by government should be indiscriminately enforced. The administration should be held to account for not doing so.

Budget Deficit: Politicians did not have the courage to raise taxes enough over the years to fund their outrageous spending level. That would have been political suicide and caused the people to scrutinize more closely all of the activities of government. So, they devised a plan to deceive the people into allowing them to borrow the money from Social Security and other sources so they can spend spend spend unchecked. When more normal sources of funding started to run out, they started printing money which served only to devalue what you have. What they did not tell you is that although they did not raise taxes yet, they will be forced to at some point or the debt can’t be paid. The thought was that by then, it would be too late to do anything about it and they have already spent the money. In the meantime, they create a series of laws so they can control the people once they figure it all out. They know it’s coming, that’s why Homeland Security has purchased more weapons and ammunition than anyone expect the military.

Trade Deficit: Foreign Oil is the largest contributor to the trade deficit and we need and have the ability to change that if government would allow it. Jobs would be created, energy prices would be lowered. There should be a push to mine more coal, drill for more oil and natural gas. All of which can be funded privately and not with taxpayer dollars.

Economy: Nothing would help more people in this nation more than lowering energy cost to the American people and the companies who employ us. Lower energy cost would bring back manufacturing jobs, and the people would have more disposable income if gasoline, and other energy were more abundant from domestic sources. To boost this effort, government should provide a mechanism to allow the nearly 2 Trillion dollars setting in foreign banks to be repatriated back into the US economy to fund energy growth and job creation. It would be simple. Instead of taxing that money upon entry into the country (keep in mind that this money was earned somewhere else), allow it to come back tax free if invested in job creation or domestic energy development. Companies could invest in anything they want from green or renewable energy sources to coal, oil, natural gas or any industry that relies on energy at an affordable price to survive. The alternative is to continue the war on coal and other fossil fuels and watch exorbitant energy prices continue to shutter more and more business and consume even more of our income.

Foreign relations: What relations? In the last 5 years, we have managed to piss off nearly every nation with our spying techniques, drone killings and cut backs in foreign aid (which I am ok with). This is not to mention the state department being guided by partisan hacks who have no idea what they are doing. Hide and watch Iran manipulate them long enough to secure nuclear weapon capabilities. The problem is we are kidding ourselves if we think there is a nation out there that gives a shit about us. The only thing other nations are interested in from the US is what we can do for them. Whether it’s financial aid, military support or trade subsidies, that is all they care about. This nation takes care of itself and should strengthen that position by reducing our dependence on foreign oil and barrowed money. In addition, we should be happy to defend Saudi Arabia’s and other nations in the region’s oil empire in the Persian Gulf, but only if they pay for our aircraft carriers and warplanes to be there. Then once we become energy independent, the price for protection goes up.

Political Correctness: Bullshit. If you hear something that you do not like. Get over it. Rub some dirt on it and move on. Do you really think people working hard to make ends meet care what we call the Washington Redskins? If they are going to change the name to be more fitting of the goofballs in Washington, perhaps they should consider: Washington Royals. After all , our leadership thinks we have a monarchial government within which they stand as Royalty and we are their subjects. The ruling class needs a lesson in constitutional limitation. Ok, I digressed, moving on. Political Correctness is like a parasite roaming around inside and eating away at small pieces of our internal fortitude. Too many have become afraid to stand on principle and succumb to the wishes of fringe elements seeking only to further an agenda. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Just do so in manner that shows respect for your opposition, but stand your ground and don’t let words be manipulated to mean something other than that which you intended.

Taxes: Harry Ried suggesting that everyone wants to pay more tax is, well bullshit. Nobody wants to pay more tax. Taxes can be considered in some ways as an investment in the country. When you make an investment, you rightfully expect something in return. It is your money not the government’s. You earned it and although taxes are compulsory, you should feel like you are getting something for your investment. What you expect is military protection against enemies of the state, reasonable regulatory oversight of certain elements of commerce, roads and highways and reasonable programs that help those who are unable to help themselves. What Reid and other likeminded public officials don’t seem to get is that none of us would make a voluntary investment into any company that can’t balance a budget, spends nearly 50 percent more than it brings in, provides special rules and exemptions for the certain stockholders that support leadership but not to others and barrows money far in excess of what it will be able to repay in the foreseeable future. If government were more efficient, less wasteful and not plagued with corruption and cronyism, the need to raise taxes would not be present. Instead of taking from the people more of their hard earned money, try creating efficiencies where they do not currently exist. Learn to prioritize spending and stop using taxpayer dollars to buy votes. Apply all laws equally to all citizens including all branches of government. Streamline the tax code. Make certain everyone who enjoys the benefits of living in America (still the greatest country ever to exist) contributes something to the system. Everyone should have skin in the game. If you put nothing in, you should expect nothing in return. Now Mr. Reid, if government were to become efficient, stop unnecessary and imprudent spending and empirical evidence suggested that leaders where doing all they can do to manage spending effectively, then the people should consider whether more tax should be paid or which service should not be provided. Not until then.

Incompetence In Charge

2013-10-24T12:22:00.000-04:00

You would have to be living under a rock not to know that the Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA)is a colossal catastrophe. The substantiation of just how failed this law is has become apparent from nearly every aspect. The question is: are we really surprised? The government that was controlled by ideology that often leans towards socialism at the time of passage allowed a law and the resulting rules to pass that contain more than one billion words. Contrast that with the entire Constitution of the United States that contains a mere 4500 words.

The problem is that we the people have elected folks to congress and the presidency that have two very difficult characteristics to overcome. Two words: ineptitude and arrogance. That’s right, they are incompetent, unqualified, uninformed and too arrogant to realize their inadequacies. So these so called leaders surrounded themselves with staff that often suffer from the same ideological predispositions and they began the process of designing a square peg to fit nicely into a round hole. Who did not know this was not going to work? After all, they voted for it without reading it. Is that leadership? I think not. Who and why would legislators vote for something that would change life for every American without reading it. If that is not incompetent, I don’t know what is.

Do not mistake anyone who consistently opposed the AHA as those who are against providing healthcare to Americans. Everyone wants healthcare coverage and everyone wants every American to have it. The real debate begins with how is it funded and who will pay for it. The opposition to the AHA is simply that the bill and resulting rules are a colossal overreach of government into our daily lives and our pocketbooks. It is a system designed more to give the government additional power and authority over the people than it is about providing healthcare to anyone. Some think this was by design, but I think it is simply an unintended consequence that nearly always shows up when incompetence is present.

The AHA act needs to be scraped. We need to elect more competent folks who understand the role of government as defined in the constitution. They then need to go to work and fix the many calamities created by previous Administrations and Congresses. While this seems like an impossible task for the American people to accomplish, it really is our only chance of preserving the American way.

Not only should every single one of them be voted out of office, they should be punished for breaching the public trust and jeopardizing the future of America. It is appalling that our government has put us in the position we are in and we are fools if we continue to elect the same people and expect something to change for the better. Vote New!

How You Frame The Story

2013-10-03T09:34:00.001-04:00

We never hear or see news headlines slanted in a favorable light. Here are a few examples:

Employment Reaches 93 Percent, Nearly 93 percent of Americans are gainfully employed according to the latest Dept. of Labor Statistics. Sadly, there are some still unemployed, but something is positive about 93 present of us being employed.

Percent Of Americans Covered By Insurance At 86 Percent. (Pre Affordable Healthcare Act) So, somebody decided to change healthcare for everyone although a vast majority of Americans were happy with their healthcare. The best answer inept politicians could come up with was to destroy the healthcare system that 86 percent were happy with to accommodate the 14 percent who were uninsured, (most by choice). Wonderful idea. Don’t forget that these same politicians exempted themselves from the law.

Global Warming Shift to Global Cooling. While so called experts point to CO2 as the reason for global warming, there is no evidence that supports that theory. The concept is based on a computer model developed 25 years ago that has proven to be wrong. Yet, they keep the fight going to get funding. Volcanic eruptions spews more CO2 than anything man does. Oh, by the way, CO2 is what plant life requires to survive. Why are not the environmental folks supporting CO2 emissions? Answer: there is no financial or political gain to be had with that position. Oh, and there are traders out there licking their lips for the opportunity to force trade CO2 credits. It’s a scam. Do the math. Our atmosphere consists of approximately 78% Nitrogen (N2), 21 percent Oxygen (O2), and 1% everything else such as Argon (.93%), carbon dioxide (.039%), neon (.0018), helium (.000524) and minute amounts of several other gases.

Antarctic Ice Growing to Record Levels. It’s true. While we have all heard about ice retreating in the northern hemisphere, they don’t tell you that ice is growing in the southern hemisphere at record rates. There are cyclical weather patterns that mother nature controls, man has no significant effect on global climate. Perhaps one could argue that concrete and steel concentrated in relatively small areas like Manhattan can influence local temperatures in that vary defined space, but those are insignificant on a global basis.

Crime Rates Higher In Gun Free Zones. Check it out yourself. Cities with the strictest and most unconstitutional gun laws have the highest crime rates. Nearly every mass shooting occurred in a gun free zone. Look at Mexico, banning guns in Mexico made life easy for the drug cartels and citizens are murdered every day. Closer to home, look at Chicago and Washington D.C., violent crime increased as a result of gun bans. So why does government want to band guns when it is clear that gun control does not limit crime. The answer can only be to subjugate those who would stand in the way of absolute supremacy. Gun free zones create a false sense of security because a sign does not prevent guns from being within the zone. Here is the best analogy, instead of locking your doors at night, just put a sign out that says “do not enter”. It will have the same affect.

A Good Education Achievable In US. The majority of students in America are getting a good education. The education possibilities in the US are enormous if you are willing to do what is necessary to achieve your educational goals. Yes, there are problems within the education system and improvements are necessary to make getting a good education more accessible to more young people. The bottom line is that if parents and students want good educational opportunities, they are out there to be had. We can’t always talk about the things that are not working without considering the elements that are. Focus on the areas where we are having success and try to expand the elements that lead to achievement into areas where they do not exist.

The biggest problem we face in the US is that government has taken on too large a role in our daily lives and the people we have elected to run the nation are proving to be incompetent as a whole. Nearly everything the government does is inefficient and or produces inadequate results. In the real world, businesses and individuals make necessary changes when something is not working as it was designed. Government on the other hand has the propensity to continue failed programs regardless of the result achieved. It seems the only solutions politicians can come up with is to throw more money at issues that have already demonstrated a lack of success. The problem is that they have to get the money from the people. We the people are tapped out. They have overspent and their ideas do not work. We need new leadership from top to bottom. Vote new!

Principle or Politics

2013-09-30T08:28:00.002-04:00

If you are employed in the private sector, then you know all too well that your continued performance and reliability are key to being successful in the workplace. In fact, if you make serious errors in judgment and do not learn from your mistakes, then your job will be in jeopardy. If you breach the trust of your employer or your employer’s customers, you are likely to be seeking employment elsewhere. That’s right, if you lie, cheat, steal , misappropriate funds or intentionally mislead or if you provide benefits to friends, family or supporters that are clear conflicts of interest, you will likely be terminated in the real world.

Not so if you are employed by the US government in upper management or are an elected official. You see, the ruling class sees themselves as exempt from the normally expected codes of conduct and that they are not accountable to the lower class which includes every non-elected person or non-management government employee. Never has it been more clear than today that government leadership and the government regulators in leadership positions feel they are entitled to exhibit behavior that would never be accepted in the private sector.

Nearly every agency under the Obama administration has been involved in a scandal of some sort and there appears to be a different set of rules applied to those situations than would be applicable to everyday citizens. I have listed 20 of just such scandals in previous comments and won’t belabor them here again, but at some point, the media and the American people need to face the reality that our dysfunctional government is the result of electing people who are more concerned about their ability to maintain control and power than anything else.

Overwhelmingly, the American people do not want the government to control Healthcare. Yet, the government is determined to force that situation upon us. How did “we the people” suddenly turn to “we the government”. We as Americans can take our country back. All we need do is elect folks who will behave and vote on principle and not politics. Vote new!

Taxpayer's Barrow More to Give Away

2013-09-25T13:27:00.002-04:00

Since the government now borrows some 40 plus percent of what it spends, then one must understand that any amount beyond that which has been factored into the current budget is 100 percent borrowed money. It really is a simple concept to understand. Of the approximately $3.4 trillion dollar budget, more than 40 percent is borrowed which will require taxpayer repayment into the future. So, anytime the government agrees to give more financial aid to countries or other special interests at home and around the world, it must first borrow the money before it can give it away. Need a few billion? The government has to borrow all of it which goes directly to the national debt that will someday have to be repaid by taxpayers.

This concept seems absolutely ridiculous that anyone can find wisdom in a theory that borrows money to give away when our nation is already financially strapped. This among other boneheaded ideas coming from the nation’s leaders should give the American people a glimpse into the absolute ineptitude plaguing our government at every level. At what point does America finally get it and move to do something about it.

Think about this whole concept, then think about the fact that the Affordable Healthcare Act (AHA)was passed without any legislator reading it. As predicted by those few who opposed the AHA, it is a colossal failure in nearly every respect. The American people don’t want it, but government knows best so they are going to cram it down our throats. This is more evidence that Washington is out of touch with the American people and they are too incompetent to rule the masses.

More examples exist at nearly every turn. Our current leadership has managed to worsen American’s standing from nearly every prospective. Financially, worse. Debt, worse. Global presents, worse. Economy, worse. Medicare, worse. Social Security, worse and list goes on.

When does the American people discover that they have had enough and are willing to boot the leadership out and vote new people into office that will represent the will of the people?

Kill or Drill

2013-09-06T08:56:00.000-04:00

Why has there been so much American blood shed in the middle east? The answer is simple. The oil that flows from that region is the life blood of our economy. Politicians have for decades done whatever is necessary to protect the flow of that oil because without it being available at a moderate price to American consumers, our economy would crumble. However, the cost of having that oil is far more expensive than most fully understand.

When you consider the indirect cost of American blood and money to provide security for the region and to participate in the various wars , the real price of a barrel of oil is perhaps some multiple of the published price. In reality, the real cost of oil to Americans is more like hundreds or even thousands of dollars per barrel. We will continue to pay for this oil in a number of ways into the future even if we managed to achieve energy independence. For example; Thousands of military veterans and their families will require taxpayer assistance which they have earned for decades to come. They were sent to far away lands to protect American interests. Oil.

Some will argue that we do what we do for humanitarian reasons. While that may make those who make the decisions to send troops into harms way feel better about the actions they take, if it were not for our appetite for oil, I doubt we would have been as active in the middle east over the last 50 years.

We now have other options. For the first time in a long time, the native oil and gas industry has improved our domestic oil production and now has energy independence within the realm of possibility. New technology and new discoveries have provided hope that energy independence is achievable. Obstacles from government and environmental groups should be removed and American ingenuity should be allowed to progress.

The economic benefits from a more aggressive domestic energy development program would benefit the most people in the shortest period of time. Such a move toward energy independence would restart the economy and make this nation the proud economic powerhouse it once was.

This could all be accomplished in an environmentally friendly manner and create more opportunity for American workers than any other idea out there. And consider this: Bombs and missiles do more harm to the earth and its inhabitants than the oil and gas industry ever could. The human and environmental impact of war far exceeds any harm presented by industry. The time has come for Americans to shift its focus to doing what is best for Americans. I think most people would rather drill for oil than kill for it.

Truth or Hide

2013-07-30T10:53:00.001-04:00

Your President once said, “those who do not want the truth to be known are the ones with something to hide”. For once, I agree with him. This President and the folks he has surrounded himself with are the most counterfeit Americans ever elected or appointed to govern ever. The Administration now refers to the various scandals as being “phony”. Instead of telling the truth about the mistakes made by this administration that would clearly display the incompetence plaguing this government, they chose to confuse the issues with cover-ups to hide the fact that they know not what they do.

In addition, it seems clear that this administration does not care for the traditional American way of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It wants to change America in ways that do not resemble the intent of our forefathers or the fundamentals that have made America the most successful society ever to exist on the planet.

They do the things they do by hiding behind hidden agendas, false pretense and smokescreens to disguise the real schemes necessary to change America to resemble something more like Europe or worse.

Most of the scandals started out as nothing more than ideological theory put in motion by ineffectual planning and execution or were the result of unconstitutional or illegal motives. The results of such often turned to failure or there was a poorly conceived attempt to conceal the ineptitude of the administration, which resulted in cover-up that became necessary to maintain credibility.

Let’s take a look at just some of the scandals and ask ourselves. If these are phony scandals, why does the Obama administration try so hard to hide the facts surrounding them? In no particular order:

1. The IRS targeted conservative and pro-Israel groups prior to the 2012 election. Is there any real doubt that this Administration has organized government employees who are part of the ruling class to protect them. I think not.

2. Benghazi, This is actually four scandals in one: The failure of administration to protect the Benghazi mission in the first instance; failure to send help to Americans in in harm’s way that resulted in four deaths; changes made to the talking points in order to suggest the attack was motivated by an anti-Muslim video; and the refusal of the White House to say what President Obama did the night of the attack. Hiding the truth is what this administration does best.

3. The Associated Press was subject to the illegal taping of phone records by the Justice Department and somehow the media must think this is ok if Obama did it.

4. The Justice Department suggested that Fox News reporter James Rosen is a criminal for reporting about classified information and subsequently monitored his phones and emails. The Attorney General in essence lied to a judge to get the warrant. This is criminal.

5. Attorney General Eric Holder told Congress he had never been associated with "potential prosecution" of a journalist for perjury when in fact he signed the affidavit that termed Rosen a potential criminal. More lies and deception.

6. Federal agencies allowed weapons from U.S. gun dealers to "walk" across the border into the hands of Mexican drug dealers. The ATF summarily lost track of scores of those weapons, many of which were used in crimes, including the December 2010 killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Under what scenario does this even begin to make sence?

7. AG Holder told Congress in May 2011 that he had just recently heard about the Fast and Furious gun walking scheme when there is evidence he knew much earlier and made efforts to cover it all up.

8. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius solicited donations from companies HHS might regulate. The money would be used to help her sign up uninsured Americans for Obamacare. This is illegal and they continue to get away with it because the rules do not apply to them.

9. The Pigford scandal: An Agriculture Department effort that started as an attempt to compensate black farmers who had been discriminated against by the agency but evolved into a gravy train delivering several billion dollars in cash to thousands of additional minority and female farmers who probably didn't face discrimination.

10. GSA gone wild: The General Services Administration in 2010 held an $823,000 training conference in Las Vegas, featuring a clown and a mind readers. Resulted in the resignation of the GSA administrator.

11. Veterans Affairs in Disney World: The agency wasted more than $6 million on two conferences in Orlando. An assistant secretary was fired.

12. A U.S. special counsel determined that Sebelius violated the Hatch Act when she made "extemporaneous partisan remarks" during a speech in her official capacity last year. During the remarks, Sebelius called for the election of the Democratic candidate for governor of North Carolina.

13. The Obama Administration funded and promoted its poster boy for green energy despite warning signs the company was headed for bankruptcy. The administration also allegedly pressed Solyndra to delay layoff announcements until after the 2010 midterm elections.

14. Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson used the name "Richard Windsor" when corresponding by email with other government officials, drawing charges she was trying to evade scrutiny.

15. The Justice Department was accused of using a racial double standard in failing to pursue a voter intimidation case against Black Panthers who appeared to be menacing voters at a polling place in 2008 in Philadelphia.

16. Obama may have violated the Constitution and both the letter and the spirit of the War Powers Resolution by attacking Libya without Congressional approval.

17. Vice President Biden's office has repeatedly interfered with coverage, including forcing a reporter to wait in a closet, making a reporter delete photos, and editing pool reports.

18. The administration paid millions to the former firm of then-White House adviser David Axelrod, AKPD Message and Media, to promote passage of Obamacare. Some questioned whether the firm was hired to help pay Axelrod $2 million AKPD owed him.

19. Former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel used Bill Clinton as an intermediary to probe whether former Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) would accept a prominent, unpaid White House advisory position in exchange for dropping out of the 2010 primary against former Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).

20. Obama has repeatedly been accused of making end runs around Congress by deciding which laws to enforce, including the decision not to deport illegal immigrants who may have been allowed to stay in the United States had Congress passed the "Dream Act."

The majority of Americans want the government to adhere to the Constitution, secure the borders, balance the budget, make all laws applicable to all Americans including Congress and fair treatment for all America Citizens. Our government ignores the will of the people because we let them. That needs to stop. We need to elect new people who understand the role of government as defined by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Vote new!

Uncle Sam's Watching

2013-07-15T12:49:00.001-04:00

Let me see if I understand. Now the federal government lies in wait to see how state courts handle cases and if they do not like the outcome, they simply launch an investigation and potentially file charges of their own. It seems that if the government wants you, they will find a way to get you. Yes, I am referring to the Zimmerman/Martin case which clearly has become more about politics than figuring out what is right and just.

The bottom line seems simple. Our government is completely out of control and does not appreciate any control being in the hands of the people. A jury has spoken and the evidence seems clear, yet allowing a jury made up of the people is not good enough for the Fed’s. They want to control the outcome. That should scare all of us.

Based on what we have learned from the national broadcast of the case in all of its details, it is still questionable as to why charges were filed in the first place. Although tragic, young Mr. Martin died because he chose to confront Zimmerman when he had other options. One option for him was as simple as to just walk away and go home. This appears to be an example of government stretching the limits of its authority and its moral and good faith obligation to protect the civil rights of all Americans.

The irony is that the federal investigation is said to be based on whether a civil rights violation has occurred. What about Zimmerman’s civil rights? Some evidence suggests that had it not been for federal government intervention, the state would not have charged Zimmerman as the initial results of the investigation indicated that there was no evidence that a crime had been committed. The trial exposed the facts of the case and some, including the federal government, refuse to accept the results and are looking for other means to punish Zimmerman and some appear willing to punish the general public indiscriminately.

There is only one way to reel in this overreaching government. We must elect new people that understand the limits placed on government by the Constitution of the United States of America.

Bad Times A Comin'

2013-06-25T10:22:00.000-04:00

When it will happen is unknown, if it will happen is certain. What? Unrest, the likes of which most would never have imagined. How certain is it that turmoil is in our future? One only need to consider the facts that spell the certain cataclysm of our economy and life as we have come to know it.

Consider the following and I mean think about the effects these basic facts will have on our countries ability to overcome the calamity created by our monarchical government. First let’s consider that 47 million people are on some sort of government assistance. This equates to 15% of the population and that does not include unemployment which is closer to 14% rather than the advertised 7%. Then contemplate the effects of nearly $140 Trillion in unfunded liabilities to repay Social Security the monies borrowed to fund government spending and the promises made to various government employees. The government owes nearly $400,000 for every man woman and child in the US. Ask yourself, where is that money going to come from? The answer is: it’s not going to be available, period.

The economic devastation in our future would have already been prevalent if not for the Federal Reserve (Fed) creating money out of thin air by printing what it needed to shore up the government bond market. You see the government borrows 40 cents of every dollar it spends. For a period of time, other governments like Japan, China and others have purchased government bonds that provided the funding necessary to support all of the government spending. Those counties now have their own economic problems and their financial ability to purchase US debt has all but disappeared. That is when the Federal Reserve began what has been called "Quantitative Easing". That simply means, that they will print money in order to purchase US debt. That process is like saying that from now on, all of your monopoly money is now valid currency and holds the same value as the real US currency. Now with all of that monopoly money put into circulation which has no underlying value, then the value of your US currency is diminished.

This too will come to an end. The Fed cannot print money forever without a significant devaluation of the dollar. That means that at some point in the future, what you purchase for a dollar now will take many more dollars to purchase. Once all of this starts to take effect, the government will be unable to meet is obligations. What happens then? Austerity. Yes, like Greece and other nations austerity will be necessary. How will that effect you? Well, promises made for retirement benefits will go unpaid at worst and underpaid at best. Medical benefits will be cut to the bone or eliminated. Financial markets will crumble and the government in its ever increasing effort toward self-preservation will begin to look at the assets of its citizens for relief.

Executive Order 13603 provides that the government has the power and authority to confiscate whatever it deems necessary to protect itself. Remember Cypress? The government there went broke because of government spending and they ultimately lost the ability to borrow. Once that happened, they turned to the private assets of its citizens and confiscated 35% of the savings of the people. You think that can’t happen here? Then you have far more confidence in our politicians than do I.

The bottom line is this. Our government has become a monarchy and the only thing they care about is preserving their power. They see us as their subjects with the responsibility to provide them with the resources necessary for them to maintain control. If that means they need to take what is yours, they will. Our only chance is to stop electing the same people and start with new people who understand the fundamentals on which this country was founded. Vote new is our only chance.

Monarchy or Myth

2013-05-25T13:40:00.000-04:00

If you have ever doubted my previous assertions that our country is becoming a monarchy reigned over by the ruling class who will stop at nothing to maintain power and control over the governed, then consider that which is taking place at the IRS, DOJ and other agencies. My proclamations regarding the ruling class concept are not limited to only the executive branch and those appointees placed in leadership roles in support of the president, but recent examples of the perception of unaccountability point squarely at the President and his sycophants.

Hearings this week and last that were held in the peoples house provide insight into the length some will go to prove they are not accountable to the people, congress or anyone else. The answers provided by IRS leaders were clearly evasive and intended to deceive, cover up and hide the facts necessary for representatives of the people to get to the truth. One IRS leader who while employed by taxpayers felt that although her job requires her to represent the people fairly and within the constraints of the constitution, that she simply did not have to answer any questions about whether she provided representation as required. How a government employ can refuse to answer to the folks charged with oversight and still maintain a job is a perfect example of public officials who believe that they are not accountable to the people.

When you have top executives refusing to answer simple questions about the facts, there must be something to hide and/or someone to protect. The water coolers in all government offices should be checked for the existence of a pathogen or other microorganism that causes memory loss particularly that which appear to be very selective. How top official cannot remember facts as so many have claimed suggests that something is very wrong and the CDC should investigate what could possibly create what appears to be a pandemic with memory loss being the predominate symptom.

There are really only two possible explanations for what we are seeing taking place within our government today. One is that the President is a socialist and is intent on destroying the American way of life as we have become to expect it, or the President is so under qualified for his position that the administration is riddled with mistakes compounded by more errors in judgment designed to hide their ineptitude. I think both are in play. The President was not qualified when first elected and has not risen to the occasion as some had hoped he would. He has surrounded himself with likeminded people who also are not qualified for leadership positions. The result is chaos, cover-up and deception.

Congress as a whole on the other hand, while only slightly more qualified to lead than the Administration, makes far too many decisions based on popularity and to attract votes. All the while the single most important thing on their individual minds is to protect themselves at all cost. To hold themselves above the people with laws to which they themselves are not required to adhere.

Yes, we are becoming a monarchy. It is the entire government, not just elected officials that think they can do as they please and we the people are forced to adhere and fund their every desire.

Unaffordable Healthcare Act

2013-05-08T12:16:00.000-04:00

Today I have to write about health care cost. The reason is simple. I received the renewal package for my families healthcare plan and although no member of the family had any significant claims and none are on any medicine, we still are required to absorb a nearly 10% increase in premiums.

We hear all of the rhetoric coming out of Washington on both sides of the debate as to whether the “Affordable Healthcare Act” (AHA) will cause insurance rates to rise or fall. I now know the answer. Rates have risen significantly each year since the passage of AHA and adding forty-four million more people to the program will continue to add more cost for which there is no guarantee for offsetting income into the program. Unfortunately, subsidies imbedded in the system are designed to force tax payers to pick up any slack.

If you think your insurance premiums are the only cost you will incur for nationalized healthcare, think again. What they are unable to collect from the system, they will either include in your tax bill or reduce the services you would otherwise be able to acquire.

Let’s think about this whole concept for a minute. We were told that forty-four million people are without insurance and that is who the AHA was designed to capture. Now that equates to approximately 14% of the US population. So a system that was working for the other 86% who followed the rules and placed themselves in a position to provide healthcare coverage to their families must now be punished so as to accommodate those who for various reasons, including choice, have no insurance. We all want Americans to have access to healthcare. The trouble is, we seem to have lost sight of the fact that healthcare is like any other service, if you want it, you need to be willing pay for it and not feel entitled to it.

While I do not think the cataclysmic results of AHA will be fully realized until full implementation of the Act, it is clear that insurance rates are on the rise and much of the reason is AHA. A concept that was devised in the back rooms of our government and signed into law without anyone reading it. I ask, how on earth could anyone think this procedure would yield positive results? The answer will become abundantly clear in the not too distant future, but all preliminary results indicate that this will be a catastrophic failure of the first order.

So what do we do? The only think I can think of that might change the course we are on is to un-elect anyone who supported this legislation and hope that those who replace them have the courage to substitute it with something that is not orchestrated in the back rooms, is fully vetted and is based on the merits of the concept and not politics.

Americans will have the opportunity to vote for change next year. Let’s hope that is not too late.

Wake Up Call

2013-04-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

Just watching the news will not provide most Americans the information they need to fully understand just how dysfunctional our government has become. It really is not about partisanship anymore. While there are patrician differences, most have nothing to do with what is best for the country or the American people. Politics of today has more to do with protecting the ruling class. You see the ruling class, which consists of the leaders of all three branches of government, are far more concerned about protecting what they have created for themselves, than that which would serve the nation and its people.

For example: The ruling class is exempt from the requirement to participate in the health care system they have designed for the American people. If this is such a good program, why do they hold themselves above the rest of us and maintain a healthcare system that only them qualify for and for which we are expected to pay.

How is it that the ruling class has a retirement system that guarantees a lucrative financial benefit package for life while they debate and argue for years about how to curtail or limit the benefits promised to the American people who paid into a system that has been abused by them for decades. They keep talking about the necessity to make changes to Social Security, but not once have I heard about them making changes to the retirement programs for Congress.

With just two examples of which there are many more, it is clear that the elected politicians have come to believe that they are what the United States was created for. The people are the governed whose place in their culture is to have but one responsibility, provide the resources necessary so they can maintain power and support the standards of living for which they have become accustomed.

While they may debate publicly and for the benefit of the media, in the end, the policies adopted over decades has resulted in nearly every segment of the Federal government being inefficient, often incompetent and far more intrusive into our daily lives than ever should have been allowed. Yet, we the people as a whole, for the most part keep electing to same people. Leadership in this country must change. Those in power have demonstrated that they simply are unable to correct the course they have guided us on.

When will the American people realize that we need a “restart button”. We need it now. Encourage new leaders to step forward. Vote new. Now.

We vs. Them

2013-03-20T15:24:00.001-04:00

It is not democrat vs. republican issues that divide this nation. It is all politicians on the Federal level that deserve part of the credit for where this country is economically and socially. We have created a monarchy where the ruling class is concerned more about maintaining power than what is best for “we the people”. We have become subjects to the monarchy and our role, as they see it, is to provide them with the resources necessary for them to maintain control of the system. One tool they employ is to keep some poor and dependent on them for assistance. Unfortunately, under the current administration, a considerable and growing portion of this nation would rather vote for a living rather than work for it and the ruling class has figured out that by creating more of this type of dependency and importing the rest, their ability to maintain control is enhanced. The lamestream media supports these efforts because journalists are trained by academics whose sole source of income for most of their lives are derived from taxpayers. Democrats want more taxes because a vast majority of their constituents rely on tax dollars. It really is that simple, but it is a recipe for the complete annihilation of our economics system.

Consider this: if you were to remove from the democrat party all government employees and those receiving financial benefits from the government (taxpayers), what would be left? Politicians would be all that remained along with a few naïve but good Americans who still think that the democrats have the answers. There are those among the democrats who believe that the party is still that which serves the people. They are so wrong as neither democrats nor republican serve the people anymore.

So let’s agree to recognize that the true war being waged is not democrats vs. republicans, rich vs. poor or blacks vs. white. No, the real warfare of today is being waged between “We the People” and “Them the Government”. It is precisely the folks we have elected in the past that put us in the condition in which we find ourselves as a nation. Therefore, I think it is safe to say that if we keep electing the same people, the result will also be the same and our future is bleak at best.

It is time to forget about party politics and vote for the citizens among us who understand the role of government and respect the limits placed on government officials by the constitution. We the people have the power to limit the size and growth of government. All we need to do is stop the madness of voting for the same people that brought us to where we are. Stop it now. Vote new!

Political Dishonesty

2013-03-13T13:31:00.000-04:00

Like most liberal leaning politicians, Senator Dianne Feinstein, (D, CA) can make some of the most ridiculous and fallacious comments without being challenged for their veracity. When the Senator claimed “We have federal regulations and state laws that prohibit hunting ducks with more than three rounds. And yet it’s legal to hunt humans with 15-round, 30-round, even 150-round magazines’. Senator, please, it is not legal to hunt humans under any circumstances, (except for the US government with its Drone policy) with any weapon regardless of size or magazine capacity. If it were legal, there would be far fewer people in congress than there are now. Term limits no longer would be an issue. Some may find this half attempt at humor to be in bad taste. In response, I would ask if the suggestion that hunting humans is legal is an attempt at humor or a intentional failure to distinguish between fact and fiction. Or even more sinister, was it an attempt to confuse the lesser informed into supporting any effort to control the masses by taking even more of the rights guaranteed to each of us by virtue of the constitution.

None of the many legislative efforts currently underway address the reasons people kill. People don’t kill because they have guns. They kill for other reasons and we really should try to understand why people take to such horrific tactics and it should be our first priority to begin to understand , why? What are the common elements among the killers that causes them to want to extinguish lives. Instead of focusing on the means by which people murder, should we not be more dedicated to understanding why and then developing methods in which to curtail or eliminate the risk factors that precipitate the behavioral characteristics that lead to casualties.

Perhaps we all should consider the changing state of the American culture. Once a God fearing nation where honesty, ethics and honor were the foundation on which our moral compass was guided and we held each other accountable for our behavior, now personal and immediate gratification is the order of the day. Respect and honor for others has been replaced with a sense of entitlement. Human interaction has been replaced by violent electronic video games, movies and a culture that has less respect for human life. At least two generations have been desensitized by actual violence in the streets of inner cities to the virtual violence seen in movies and games our kids watch and play.

Government attempts to control guns is not the answer. Hell, it’s not even the question. People who recognize their own since of responsibility do not kill innocent people. It is only those who have immersed themselves into a world where they themselves become the center and constant external stimulus to feed the overwhelming since of entitlement is required to maintain and cope with reality.

Curtailing the rights of law abiding Americans will have no effect on the criminal element that will continue to have weapons of every nature including those with high capacity magazines. Curtailing or eliminating my right to meet any criminal threat with equal firepower is not only unconstitutional, it’s immoral.

Look It Up

2013-02-15T12:26:00.001-05:00

The Efficiency of Militia Bill H.R. 11654, of June 28, 1902 invalidates all proposed gun-control laws. It also divides the militia into three distinct and separate entities. The three classes H.R. 11654 provides for are the organized militia, henceforth known as the National Guard of the State, Territory and District of Columbia, the unorganized militia and the regular army. The militia encompasses every able-bodied male between the ages of 18 and 45. All members of the unorganized militia have the absolute personal right and 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms of any type, and as many as they can afford to buy. The Dick Act of 1902 cannot be repealed; to do so would violate bills of attainder and ex post facto laws which would be yet another gross violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Look it up. Quit wasting time and energy trying to regulate an inanimate object and focus on the real issue. People kill, address the reasons this happens and not the means.

Constitutional Circumvention

2013-02-07T11:53:00.000-05:00

I am not certain who at the newspaper office determines what issues get a thumbs up or thumbs down, but I suggest that whoever that is, they should consider a few facts before exposing their own ideology and political agenda. For example, the Sheriff signed a petition that calls into question the validity of any law passed that would serve to infringe on the second amendment rights of American citizens.

The Sheriff does not work for the President or Congress and neither elected him to office. We the people did that. The Sherriff’s oath of office requires in part the following: “ I, ---------, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”.

The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land. Any official who in good faith believes that any executive order or law that is in conflict with the constitution is within his constitutional authority to ignore such a conflicted law under the guidance laid out in Article VI. Within the jurisdiction of his county – the sheriff has more authority than any federal or state official until he violates his Constitutional Oath of office to support and defend the Constitution. He must do that which his oath requires and the aforementioned petition supports that effort.

The only way to change the constitution is by amendment and until that effort is completed, no law that attempts to control our rights under the second amendment are valid and therefore should not be enforced.

Watch and Learn

2013-01-31T13:30:00.003-05:00

If you are one who does not understand the need to uphold the principles of the 2nd amendment, please watch this short video. It will provide a much clearer understanding of what the fathers of the constitution had in mind. This is an absolute true story.

This has been around before, but some may not have seen it. And it is true.

Battle of Athens (TN) - 1946
This is an interesting bit of history and gives another view for the right to bear arms and government gone wrong. Be sure to watch it to the end and see the actual pictures of that time.

http://voxvocispublicus.homestead.com/Battle-of-Athens.html

This should be spread around.

Open Letter to WV Delegation

2013-01-28T11:19:00.000-05:00

To: The Honorable Joseph Manchin

The Honorable John D. Rockefeller IV

The Honorable Shelley Moore Capito

The Honorable David McKinley

The Honorable Nick Rahall II

Subject: Gun Control

It would be difficult to think of anything more troubling than the shooting of innocent children. We all are saddened and morn for those lost and their families and friends. Of course the top questions in our minds are: Why? And how do we prevent such events?

We may never fully understand the answer to the first question, but it seems clear that we need to address the culture in which our children are desensitized by violent movies and video games. We must also address the need to identify those with mental disturbances that appear to be present in each case of mass murder. Clearly we need a system in the mental health industry where violent and mentally unstable people can get help for their issues before a tragedy occurs.

It seems many want to use the most recent tragedy to leverage more power and support for gun control. First, let’s take a look at the facts and consider whether any of the gun control efforts now underway would have made any difference recent mass murders had they been enacted prior.

Here are the facts as we know them and the current laws that were broken:

The assailant steals guns from his mother.

Kills his own mother.

Transports these guns loaded.

Brings guns onto school property.

Breaks into the school.

Discharges the weapons within city limits.

Murders 26 people.

Commits suicide.

All of which are in violation of current laws and none of which would have been altered in anyway by the current movement to ban, limit or restrict guns and ammo for private law abiding citizens.

As a law abiding citizen and military veteran, I feel I am among the last in this nation who’s second amendment rights should be infringed upon. Particularly when it seems clear that most of the efforts currently in progress will not prevent tragedies like those in the past. The truth is, there are hundreds of millions of firearms in this country and bad people will always find a way to get them and use them. Knowing that, should support the rest of us having the necessary firepower to counter any potential risk.

These mass murders are occurring in places where guns are not allowed by law abiding citizens and the criminal element is not going to abide by any new laws any more than they do the ones on the books now. So, please explain to me how it makes any since at all to infringe on my right bear arms. Question: Why do I need a so called assault rifle. Answer: Because the bad guys have them.

Self-defense is a right and a responsibility. Government is constitutionally barred from infringing on that right. The people need to stand up on this one.

As our representative, you must act in a manner that projects our constitutional right to defend.

No Constitutional Authority to Limit Arms

2013-01-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

Remember when everyone understood that our government was of and for the people. The constitution provides that the powers of the government come from and is granted unto the various branches of government by the people. The constitution does not provide rights to the people, it assumes they already have them and attempts to limit what powers the government will have in regulating society. The opening remarks in the constitution clearly state the reasons the document was constructed. The government was created to be the common entity of the people to “establish justice, domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense and secure the blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

Liberty or freedom of the sovereign individual was a fundamental proclamation made clear by the authors of the constitution. Although the constitution clearly accepts the rights of the people to remain free, congress and the legislatures of the states voted for and ratified the Bill of Rights to more clearly identify the rights held by the people that the government had no right to infringe upon.

For example: The second amendment clearly states that the “right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”. “Infringe” means among other things: encroach on, intrude on, interfere with, impinge on, trespass or invade. In other words, the people did not give the government the right to regulate arms in any way. No senator, congressman or judge thereof has the authority to infringe on the people’s right to bear arms of any size, nature or quantity.

Therefore, the Bill supported by Senator Feinstein is unconstitutional on its face. It is not completely clear to me as to why the liberal left want to prevent the people from having arms of their choosing. Many of the very same people who want to take away or diminish my rights to own and carry weapons are themselves either owners and carriers or they have armed guards with them most or all of the time. Is it ok for them to be protected but not the rest of us?

The constitution does not mention hunting as the reason for free people to keep and bear arms. The constitution is clear on the reason as, “being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. It can’t be more clear.

I recognized that there are crazy, even evil people out there who at times want to hurt others. That is precisely why my right to defend my family should never be infringed upon. One question often asked is: Why should anyone own an assault rifle? My answer: is because the bad guys already have them and any invading force whether domestic or foreign will have them. Taking guns away from law bidding citizens is not the answer.