What America Means To Me

What does America mean to me? I've taken the opportunity over the last few months to really reflect upon this question, and the intensity of my thoughts have deepened over the past weeks. Today I was listening to a soliloquy called I am the American Flag, and I began reflecting upon what it means to be an American as we approach the 4th of July holiday. I fear that patriotism has been reserved as a 4th of July expression to be suppressed until the following 4th. It's like giving and goodwill during the Christmas season, or expressions of love during Valentines day. We hastily hang a flag outside our homes for the 4th, we sing the National Anthem and we shed a tear for our fighting men and women who are currently or who have served to preserve our Freedoms and then the next morning we take down our Flags and our patriotic bunting and we gear up for the next holiday in the good ol' American fashion.

Is that what America is? Is that what it means to be an American? I would hope that more people would think not. Patriotism is not something that we put up for a day in the form of a flag, Patriotism is something which surges through the human soul which causes one to be in awe when they see the American Flag waving in the blue sky. It's a feeling of pride that one feels as they sing the National Anthem, as they stand at the beginning of a baseball game or other daily event. I often get a lump in my throat as I sing the National Anthem or listen to it sung by those who have a gift for singing. Patriotism is a feeling of duty towards one's Country and a desire to see Constitutional Law preserved. Patriotism is the feeling of disgust as you witness the engorgement of the government at the expense of the Citizen. Patriotism is the call to action that you feel when faced with a decision which effects the Nation. Patriotism is going to the poll booth on election day, even though it may not be convenient to your daily schedule. Patriotism is the desire that fairness be extended to all men regardless of who they are, a pure belief that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

What does America mean to me? It means Freedom. Freedom to choose whether or not I want to succeed or fail. Freedom to choose the path which I feel is right for myself and my family. Freedom to decline carrying health care coverage without the fear of being fined up to $1,000 by my government. Freedom to listen to the radio to whomever or whatever I want without being told that I am uninformed and of a lower intelligence than the governing body. Freedom to determine for myself my salary if I own a company that is successful. Freedom to own a gun and ammunition for that gun without being penalized by the government. Freedom to think or act in the way I feel most comfortable in accordance with my own conscience without being told that my ideas and feelings are extreme and unacceptable within the halls of government.

America is justice for all, not the few. Recently the Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder was asked if the broadening of the hate crimes statute would extend to the protection of a priest who was attacked for not supporting gay rights, and his answer was no. The recent overturning of Judge Sotomayor's ruling against the New Haven Fire Fighters who believed that their test scores should have been sufficient for promotion, with a 5-4 ruling in favor of the firefighters should cause all to question the absence of justice for ALL Americans. White, black, Hispanic, Asian, Indian,or whatever other race or creed, all should be viewed with equality under the law. There should be no enhancements of one demographic group over another. The symbol for the justice system is the blindfolded lady with the balance of justice in her hand, but this is no longer true. The so called justice system has ripped off the blindfold and has been issuing racist judgements for decades trying to placate special interest groups. The result has been the deepening of racial segregation and the tipping of the balance of justice against those who are being accused of the very acts which are being perpetrated upon them.

That's not America, that is not what our Founding Father's envisioned for this great Nation. There is no reason why we should be embarrassed for being great! America is great! If it were not so why would so many people want to come here to live? Do you see people risking life and limb to sneak into Cuba, Russia, China, or any other nation on this earth? No! They are coming here to America, and that is why this Nation was established to be a place where the citizens of the various nations of the earth could resort to to experience Freedom and then take those things which they've learned back to their own nations. This Nation was set up as an example to the world, and now we are a joke. Whereas the nations of this earth are moving away from socialism we are falling all over ourselves to establish socialist programs here in America.

America is freedom and liberty. America is peace and strength. America is opportunity. America is great because it's people are great, but it's people are changing, and not for the better. My prayer is that more Americans will rise up and awaken to the great sense of responsibility which is ours. It is not the government's place to take care of us, it is our solemn duty and responsibility to ensure that America remains strong and a beacon of Liberty and Freedom for the world. May this 4th of July, our Independence day be a day of joyful reflection upon those freedoms which we all enjoy by virtue of the existence of this Great Nation. May we celebrate our freedoms on the 4th and cherish them every day of our lives. May God grant unto us the privilege of ever remaining a Nation United.

The "New" GM

It's been awhile since I've written on the state of our great Nation. Believe me it has not been due to a lack of topics, but rather out of frustration with the way things are going and a desire not to sound like a hate filled hot head spewing anger through his keyboard. But I've reached my saturation point, my boiling point, my apex, whatever you want to call it and now it's time to sit down and say what I feel.

This week General Motors declared that it is filing for bankruptcy protection. The plan is to essentially kill the "old" GM and split the company in two sections the "old" and the "new". The "new" GM will have the government as a controlling shareholder, isn't that wonderful! Because we all know that government has always been successful at every business venture or as a matter of fact they are successful with every venture it undertakes. If you doubt me just take a look at government housing projects, Medicare, Social Security, or even the Bay of Pigs for examples of the success of the government in its undertakings. I assume that with the government taking over General Motors the new meaning for GM will be Government Motors. They will be the new Yugo. For those of you who aren't familiar with a Yugo, it was a car that was imported from Yugoslavia from factories which were government owned (by the Yugoslavian government) and they were pretty much a joke. My father had one for a short period of time and I hated that car, it was uncomfortable and I felt like I was riding in a tin box.

The recent government takeover of banks and private corporations has been done with blatant disregard for the Constitution of the United States of America. In the past I've said we need Presidents like Grover Cleveland, who although a Democrat believed in putting America before party politics. He believed in small government and when faced with issues trying to pull the nations monies into private enterprises and or "help" the needy he routinely vetoed those bills declaring that the Constitution gave no authority to the government. He declared, ""Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character. . . . ". He consistently said that the charities should take care of it. In the case of the Federal Corn-feed Act the charities came to the rescue and gave more support to the embattled farmers than the federal government had set aside with the Corn-feed Act. His declaration that such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care is true. Now that the government has declared that any business or industry considered too big or important to fail must be bailed out by the federal government more and more industries are standing in line for the government dole. Now we have the Nation's newspapers saying that they want to be bailed out. There is no longer a need to restructure and re-evaluate business operations, you get your money and continue with those business practices which caused the company to fail initially.

John F. Kennedy, another Democrat president declared, "ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country..". This declaration today would be derided and declared to be out of touch with today's American. We no longer want to do anything, but have our government do everything for us. Not too long ago I heard a news broadcast where a lady was coming out of a town-hall meeting with Obama and she was so excited. She said that she never believed that she would see the day when she no longer had to worry how she was going to pay her mortgage, or how she was going to buy groceries, or put gas in her car. She went on to say that all she needs to do is follow this guy and he will take care of everything for her. That sentiment is a sad one indeed, and it is indicative of the attitude with many Americans today. We've become week and have been made to rely upon the government too much. With this attitude socialism is knocking at the doors and the shackles of oppression are being forged in the fires of one sided political debate.

The federal government has been proposing more and more laws which would essentially remove our rights as Citizens and place us in a subservient role to the government. The founders of this Nation never intended that relationship to exist between us and our government. It is evident by reading the Constitution that this is the case. There is a current movement within the States to return States Rights to the States and the People in accordance with the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. Here in Utah the movement has taken upon itself the name of The Patrick Henry Caucus. The interesting thing about it is that on one hand you have States declaring their sovereignty as individual States and on the other you have California wanting a "bailout" because of their failed political policies which have essentially bankrupted the State. For the first time California has shown a decrease in the State's population. Where does it stop? Is it going to continue to spiral out of control until we've completely ruined our National economy and we reach a point where we can not as Obama declared ever recover from the damage which we create with our National policies. May God forgive us if this is the case.

Speaking of God, recently Obama declared that we are not a Christian Nation, but rather a Muslim nation. I would like to take a moment to refute this claim and openly call Mr. Obama a liar and a deceiver. The Muslim population in America is roughly 5,000,000 which is about 1.6% of America's population, these numbers cannot be proved with empirical numbers, but it is commonly agreed that this is the case. On the other hand 82% of Americans identify themselves with Christianity. So just these numbers reveal the deceitfulness of Obama's statement that America is essentially a Muslim nation and not a Christian one. Why would he make such a bold face lie? One can only speculate and postulate on his statement, and that is not my duty. I will allow the reader to come to their own conclusions as to his motives behind his statements.

My desire is to save this Nation, I stand in good company as well. The movement to preserve America as a free country will continue to grow in the hearts of freedom loving Americans everywhere. With men like my good friend Paris Street out there we will win this fight for our independence. May God bless us, and may He ever preserve us a Nation United!

An American Democrat: by Paris Van Street

Typically I will write an article on a subject which is currently facing America and its Citizens. I recently received this from a good friend of mine. I thought it well written and put in a manner that I wanted to share it. I received his permission to share it with whomever I wanted so here it is in its entirety.

An American Democrat: by Paris Van Street
I am an American first and a Democrat second. As I look at my party, I realize that American patriotism is a distant memory for many democrats, while some look upon our great country with disdain, distrust, and even disgust.

My inspiration and foundational political views as a young American came from words spoken by an American Democrat who paid the ultimate price, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Where are the John F. Kennedy democrats today? I would like to be counted as one of that group. Everything that I have written here, is dedicated to the spirit of these words.

I grew up in a Norman Rockwell painting - slice of Americana. The sign, as you enter town, proudly proclaims this obvious fact, "Welcome to Bridgeville, Delaware. If you live here, you would be home now." As corny and quaint as the Bridgeville slogan is, it should be sprawled across every point of entry into United States of America. I can see it now...
I know that the idea is kind of silly and I am not ready to march on Washington or raise a grass roots movement, its just the idea that I am proud of being an American. It is a comfortable and a sobering thought. Every time I step foot on American soil after a foreign trip, I feel a great sense of relief, because I know I am at home.

America the Beacon
I see America as a diamond clad beacon of hope atop a mountain shining for the entire world to see and admire. Sure we have had our shortcomings and even outright failures from time-to-time, but America is that jeweled beacon, an example of what good can come from a truly free society where a government has limited power and where there are real checks and balances.

A Crowded Room
Sometimes I feel as though I stand alone in a crowded room of people. I hear the deafening roar in this rolling sea of voices. Recently, as I focused on an individual voice that managed to be just a little bit louder than the rest, I heard a call for change. “Any change is good, as long as it is change.” I hear the language of our democratic forefathers, but the words have a different meaning now. I hear talk of good things for the common worker, but I do not here solutions that will actually work. When our leaders talk all I can here is a collection discordant "anti-something" or "it is so-and-so's fault". It is all rhetorical blither reminiscent of a school yard brawl.
The other side is no better.

The Evil Rich
I hear words of hatred for the rich. I hear how we are going to raise taxes on those evil rich capitalistic dogs, but I do not hear a plan for how we are going to keep these people from leaving the country altogether, and taking their job producing billions with them. This reminds me of that luxury tax back in the 1990’s where my party pushed through a big feel good tax on luxury yachts. Rich people stopped buying these expensive boats in the United States. 120,000 middle-class Americans lost their boating industry jobs as two hundred year old companies went bankrupt. Have we learned any lessons from that abject failure? Will we repeat the same mistakes? Do we, as Democrats, value our political collateral more than the promotion of constitutional “General Welfare”?
Basic Human Rights
Voices in the crowd cry for rights of the individual, but human rights are ignored. We talk about a woman's right to her own body, but we don't address the rights of an unborn human. We rail against the young mother who puts her newborn baby in a dumpster to die and we put her in prison for murder. Meanwhile, we defend the work of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas who advertises, “We specialize in "late" abortion.“ (See drtiller.com/elect.html)
What is the difference between an eight and a half month old fetus and a one day old baby? Two weeks! My youngest son was three weeks early. Today a woman in trouble, in her third tri-mester, could show up in Kansas without proper counseling. In our haste to make abortion safe and legal in any circumstance, have we missed the most important point of all. The decision she makes will affect the rest of her life. It is a decision that is entered into in haste and encouraged by the facility where it is to be performed. People are encouraged to spend more thought on what car they are going to purchase than on this life altering decision. In fact, some of my Democrat friends ignore the emotional post abortion stress altogether. Why?


Equality
We celebrate and champion the cause of homosexual rights and talk about encouraging tolerance. If you express indifference you are judged as intolerant. If you express any form of incongruity in the smallest degree you are demonize and compared to advocates of the KKK or the Nazis. There are those in our party who live in the fringes of society that dominate political discussion and demand lockstep adherence to their far off center views and aspirations.

Criticizing America
If I don't care for a politician I criticize him or her. My criticism may become intense, sometimes insensitive, but I never criticize America just because I don't like one of her politicians. There are those in our party who belch out vitriolic criticism saying that America caused the tragedy we suffered one September morning in 2001. That Is like saying about a girl that was raped, “She asked for it.”

What I want as an American Democrat
I want change, real change. I want a small central government. I want the states and individuals alike to make their own choices. I want government to do the things it was supposed to do according to the constitution and nothing else. I want to defund 90% of the Federal Government institutions and completely abolish ALL federal collection of taxes. I want the state governments to fund the federal government based on their population just like the original framers of the constitution intended.

Call me Idealistic
It is fine with me if you want to decry my positions and call me idealistically naïve or ephemerally simplistic in my approach. I support the great American experiment. I am in love with Lady Liberty and get a tear in my eyes every time I see her statue in the harbor. I extol America's virtues while I overlook her shortcomings, not because of ignorant idealism or fleeting simple thoughts of flag waving nationalism or chauvinism, but because like my forefathers I truly believe in the good that is America.

Patriot Not Terrorist

With the current declassification of the Department of Homeland Security's recent document on "Rightwing Extreemism" I feel it necessary to come forth and declare that in no uncertain terms I am an American and a Patriot of the United States of America. The Constitution of the United States of America declares that we have the right to freedom of speech, and we have been consistently reminded by the left that political descent is protected under the Constitution, but now they are in power and there can be no political descent.

I took the liberty of reading this report so that I could get the full information and not just part of it, and it is pretty sad and scary at the same time. It repeatedly states that those who oppose the government's power sieze are doing so because we are opposed to Obama being black and that is the only reason why we oppose him. I can't help it that I can't stand large government, socialism, and the dismantling of this country piece by piece.

Our Country doesn't need to fear me or those like me. Leftwing exteemist have been more dangerous to this country over the years. I am not an extreemist, I just believe that if we are to survive as a country we need to do something, like institute a change in government by electing true Americans, Patriots into government.

They are making the move to try and stop the current purchasing of ammunition because only terrorists are purchasing large amounts of ammunition and guns. They are poised to succeed in this their insidious efforts, but I can not stop declaring my beliefs, that America is great and they are ruining this Nation one day at a time.

We have to come together and not allow them to succeed. If we sit back and do nothing we will be destroyed as a Nation. May God bless us, and grant us the strength to press forward against the opposition caused my our government. May we ever remain a Nation United.

Yet Another Lie to the American People

Ever since Obama has taken office we've been informed of the tragedy which in their estimation is America's fault, which is the crime going on across the border from us in our neighbor Mexico. Even our illustrius Sec. of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton declared last week that we as a Nation accept responsibility for the crime going on there in Mexico.

Ever since this campaign against guns started, and we've been shown on television news the pictures of caches of weapons being seized by Mexican officials, I've have continuously said that more than half of the weapons being shown are not from the U.S. because we can't get them, legally that is. They show grenades and rockets and say that these weapons come from the U.S. Now being a gun enthusiast I spend a lot of time in gun shops, and I can honestly say that I've never seen a grenade in a gun shop, nor have I seen one at one of those evil gun shows. Now, Fox News has released an exclusive report declaring the figures used by the Obama administration as blatantly false. The figure that they have been using is 90% of weapons used in Mexico crimes come from the U.S., but the actual number is only around 17% at best. Why then would our own government lie to us? The answer is actually simple, they want to take guns from us. Americans as a whole won't readily give up their guns, at least those who own them. Therefore to advance the anti-gun agenda espoused by the Obama administration, now remember Atty. General Holder wrote in his brief to the Supreme Court during the case involving the Second Amendment last year, that the Constitution doesn't guarantee the individual right to own a fully operational weapon in their homes or otherwise. We know the Clintons are anti-gun and Obama has consistently taken an anti-gun position until early last year. If they can succeed in demonizing guns they will be able to more readily eliminate guns from the American people and thereby enslave us as a people.

Throughout history every oppressive government prior to becoming so have taken away gun rights from its citizenry. Therefore the only reaon why our government would want to take away our guns is not to protect us, but to oppress us. Thomas Jefferson made the same declaration in defense of the individual right to keep and bear arms while speaking of the Second Amendment.

We as a people must be informed of the truth, we can't expect to get it from the mainstream media or from our elected officials. We have to be dilligent or we will loose the battle for our freedoms, and we will perish as a Nation.

My Oath of Allegiance

I, Alvaro Garcia Ramirez III, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

On February 23, 1991 I stood before the Flag of my Country and in the presence of 12 other enlistees took the above oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, and that I would bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I am not the only person to enter this oath since it was ratified by Congress in 1962 every enlisted man and woman who has entered the service of this Country has entered into the same oath of allegiance. I've never forgotten that oath and I take it seriously. My oath didn't mention until the day that my enlistment in the armed forces should terminate, or until I feel that I no longer wish to support such oath. I raised my hand and proclaimed my allegiance and willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice if so needed for this Country and it's Constitution.

Those who stood with me that day were willing to do the same. None of us were there for school money. We weren't there for anything other than to enlist to defend our Country. We enlisted in time of war, we jointed the hundreds of thousands who have answered their Country's call to arms and service in time of war. Americans have always come forth in defense of the down trodden and oppressed. There have always been those who have not desired to serve their Nation, and that has been OK. Our Constitution defends and protects them as well. The service to this Nation does not necessarily lie in the ranks of military service. Every American whether born in this Country or not has the ability and obligation to serve the Nation. This service can come via military service if chosen or by serving in the community where the individual lives. This service can and ought to be rendered with love for Nation and community. The service can be as easy as volunteering to spend time with local children at a community school as a mentor, or maybe even supporting local events. Your service to this Country should entail being familiar with the activities of politicians throughout all levels of government and holding them accountable for the dissemination of their duties under the Constitution. We as a people hold the keys of government. We as a people hold the power and we relegate it to our elected officials and we are to hold them accountable. I am sickened by the attitude which I have encountered as I've begun my crusade to try and save America. Now don't misunderstand me, I do not suppose myself more than a mere man with limited ability. Every American from the West coast to the East coast from the Southern border to the Northern border including Alaska and Hawaii need to each individually take up the crusade to save America.

My call to arms offended some and caused others to take a laissez-faire attitude and place the "burden" upon someone else. They don't want to make waves or disturb the status quo. That is fine, I respect your choices, although I don't agree with them I respect your choice because that is the beauty of America.

The indifference of others won't effect my determination to push forward, until I can find those people in whose hearts burn the spirit of freedom which is the Spirit of Christ. My call is the same, stand up America for your Country, for your Constitution, that divinely inspired document. The day will come, we know not when, when we will look upon our Nation and wonder where it went. We will no longer recognize our Republic, our Constitution will be but a distant memory, and we will be fettered by the shackles of oppression. Then there will be some who will try and change it, but it will be too late for us as a Nation. Whether that day comes in my lifetime or after I've gone the way of all the earth, I will not be counted with those who took no thought to defend the Nation when there was still time. The flag, that title of liberty is planted in my heart, I have written the oath upon my heart, I have taken the knee and prayed for this Nation, and I've gotten up girded upon myself the armour of liberty, which is the whole armour of God. I shall utter the truth, and there will be those who refuse to hear it, I shall proclaim liberty and there will be those who are offended. I will stand up for this Nation and its Constitution, and there will be those who sit idly by and wait for others to save them.

I will not despise that which was given to me by the Founding Fathers of this Great and Inspired Nation. I am grateful to have been born in this Country. I honor the Founding Fathers for their sacrifice and service. I honor every person who has worn the uniform of this Nation in service to their Country. I honor the families of those servicemen and women who have given a loved one for this Country. I honor those who serve in their communities across this Great Nation. I honor those who work hard to support their families and don't look to government for deliverance. Those who have sold their birthright, those who have despised their freedoms, those who have spit upon the face of those serving this Nation whether today or in times past, I pity you. And though you care not for this Country, my crusade to save America incorporates you. Because the beauty of America is our freedom to choose what we will do. Therefore, I utter the same proclamation uttered by Joshua in the Bible, choose you this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord, and our Country!

Confession of an American Coward

As of now most people have heard about Attorney General Eric Holder's comment that America is a Nation of cowards. So therefore since I've been outed I will come out and admit it, my name is Alvaro Ramirez and I am an American coward. I am afraid that my Country that I love has been hijacked by Socialist Pigs who are hell bent on destroying this Nation as we know it. There I've said it, and I feel better for having done so. Confessing something as big as that can be so liberating.

Now in seriousness, this is truly how I feel. I feel that the whole body government is infested with traitors and cowards who are selling our freedoms and liberties to the highest bidder. The government is rogue, it is operating outside the parameters of the Constitution. My fellow Americans, my brothers and sisters, citizens of the United States of America it is time that we as a Nation come together in defense of our National Sovereignty. Our fore fathers came forward and pledged to each other their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. WE must be willing to do the same if we are to retain our freedoms. We cannot sit idly by and watch as things happen expecting not to be held accountable for our actions. God will hold us responsible for the demise of this Nation if we do nothing. The time for the summer soldier or sunshine patriot is gone, and we must come forward as did those who came before us. We the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. For those of you who don't know, this is the preamble to the Constitution. It was appropriate then and it is appropriate now, and more so.

Are you aware of those actions being taken by your government which would limit your freedoms and in essence place philosophical shackles upon your wrists and ankles causing you to loose your freedoms? Now I don't care whether you're a Democrat, republican, green party, libertarian, or any other political affiliation. I don't care whether you're white, black, brown, Asian, or any other race, we are ALL Americans, and whether you want to be a hyphenated American or just an American that is up to you. The attacks on our freedoms are going to and will effect all of us regardless of social standing. This article is a call to arms. Hold on I am not advocating rebellion, nor revolt of any kind. I am calling for all Americans or those who would like to call themselves Americans to take up their pens and phones and call their Representatives in Washington and State and Local Representatives. Let them know that you love America and will not sit idly by allowing them to sell away your future and your children's future. There will come a day when your children will ask you what you did when America when in crisis, and what will be your answer? Will you be able to say that you defended America for you and them or will you say that you did nothing but sat idly and watch America destroyed? Do not allow yourselves to lulled to sleep by the sophisticated babbling of the Washington Elite who believe that they know how to live your lives better than you do. Tell me the truth, do you believe that they know how to spend your money better than you? If you do, I feel sorry for you and you are unworthy of the appellation of American and are undeserving of the sacrifice made by every American fighting man and woman since we declared our Independence in 1776. I know that sounds harsh, but the time for polite dissent is gone. This is what I mean that I agree that Americans are cowards. We have allowed ourselves to believe that if we speak out against Obama we are racists, or if we don't like all the social programs being considered we are heartless socialites who don't care for the poor, (as a side note it has been proven that Conservatives give more to charities than liberals). We've been bullied into believing that the Constitution only protects those who hold a liberal viewpoint, but if we want to stand up for what is right we cower and hold our tongues. Those who support the fairness doctrine, I would say have denied the Constitution and have come out in open rebellion against the freedoms of Americans. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that things must be "fair", "balanced", "equal", or nor does it mention anything about the right to be heard. I am appalled by the current situation in America and Americans obvious disdain for their birthright. I can't stand by and watch it happen a moment longer. This is why I am issuing this call to arms for all Americans. If you agree that America must be preserved and not re-made as declared by Obama in his inaugural address then I ask to to download the Constitutional Pledge located at www.anationunited.org/constitutionalpledge.pdf. Upon signing it send it back to at:
A Nation United
PO Box 775
West Jordan, UT 84084

If you prefer you may scan it and send it as an attachment in an email to aramirez@anationunited.org or fax it to my attention at 267-434-8703. At the end of the year I will put all the Pledges together and mail a copy of The Constitution along with all the signatures received to the President, both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court. We together will make our voice heard. We will stand united together in a common cause, all races, all political backgrounds, all social standings, together, united, one as Americans. We will come together as our Founding Fathers did and we will establish this Nation as United under one flag, under one Constitution. We will ever remain a Nation United!

Spending "US" into the Black?

I've spent some time reading over the first 150 pages of the "stimulus" bill that Obama is pushing as well as the Democrats in the House and Senate, and I must say I am very impressed. I calculated well over $100 Billion in spending with no jobs creation whatsoever. The interesting thing about that is that this is being sold as an immediate remedy for the ills of the economy which will put people back to work and create jobs. It creates a lot of new Grant programs and appropriates money for rural housing and other loan programs, and some subsidies for rural power development, which won't create jobs, just help those companies involved with rural power development.

I skipped ahead to the mid 500's and then the 700's and I saw some incentives for companies already in the business of making alternative fuel cars, which I guess could be loosely conceived as a method of creating jobs, but that money is not available until 2011.

As far as I can tell the over 750 pages of spending doesn't really do anything to help America today. I am unable to support such nonsense and I encourage everybody within the sound of my voice (or within view of this article) to quickly notify your congressman or senator of your displeasure with this. I heard that our legislatures in DC are being inundated with opposition 100:1 to this bill, but that the Democrats will pass it anyway. Spending more money never helped anybody avoid economic disaster, and it won't help US (The United States).

A Nation Divided!

Well I am going to break away from my commentaries on the Bill of Rights for the moment and discuss the Constitutional dilemma which is facing America today. I am talking about our speedy flight down the path to socialism. I know the news media paints those who feel as I do as crazy and alarmist, but I don't share that view. I have a deep and enduring love for this Country, the United States of America, and that is what pushes me to do what I do.

So despite what you might think, I strongly believe that we as a Nation are faced with two choices. We can either choose to stick to our Constitution, or do away with it and do as Obama said in his inaugural speech, re-make America. I for one don't think we need to re-make America. We do need to fix it and re-establish our freedoms, but America doesn't need to be re-made.

Let's take a look at the "stimulus" package being pushed by the Obama administration. Now before you cry foul thinking that I don't support it just because it is Obama, I didn't support T.A.R.P. either. As a matter of fact I haven't supported any federal funds going to bail out any industry. I don't even agree with federal funds going to fund public education either, but that is another subject all together. Let's get back to Obamanomics. This administration seems to view economic stimulation in a different view than I do. It is not surprising that they would believe that only government involvement can spur the growth of the economy, since they believe that government is pure and unbiased whereas the private sector is greedy and too unregulated. This belief is leading them to believe that by packaging the economic stimulus package the way they have will ensure that the economy will grow quickly, unfettered by the greed and corruption which is naturally inherent in the private sector. Obama recently said that if the Senate doesn't pass the stimulus package as he's prepared it the Nation will NEVER Recover! So basically if we don't immediately spend $50 million for the endowment for the arts our Nation will collapse economically, the $300 million to battle against violence against women will cause irreparable harm to the economic feasibility to this Country. If Americans don't get their $650 million for digital tv converter boxes we will be put into a destructive economic downturn which will be felt by Americans for centuries to come (that is what is inferred by the words never recover). Can anybody explain to me just how these things are meant to stimulate the economy? Where is the economic plan that he released in January of 2008? The one he is pushing now has nothing to do with that one, and that is the one he ran on to win the presidency. Dare I say it? Is the change that Obama ran on really his ability to change his mind? It makes one with any iota of common sense and economic understanding wonder what in the world are we doing. Our government is doing all they can to take over the private sector in the name of economic stimulus.

Ok, to be fair there are items in the bill which would create jobs, but when will those jobs be created? For example the money being set aside for green fuel technology research. Has anybody tried getting government money for a project? I have and it is a very onerous process which takes months and can take up to a year. On the other hand if the stimulus package created tax cuts and tax breaks the results would be felt immediately and jobs would be created. That is right, I am saying that to really stimulate the economy you have to put more money into the hands of those who spend it, the people, and the people get their money from their employment, and jobs are created and incomes rise when companies are less burdened by taxes.

I've said it once and I'll say it again no country has ever taxed itself into prosperity. It is not the duty of government to take care of the people. We are to take care of ourselves, government's job is to maintain the peace and protect our Rights. We are not protected by the systematic removal of freedoms. We are not protected by the never ending overreaching tentacles of big government.

We are facing a dilemma which is causing a rift in society. We have one group who is cheering for the government to move quickly and take away the rights of business owners and those who are viewed by society to be affluent, and we have those of us who are decrying the government's interference with the natural process of a cyclical market. I would issue a warning to those who see no problem with taking money from one group and re-distributing said money to another. Once you let a cancer grow it becomes more aggressive and moves into other areas of the body. This will happen to you if you sit idly by and allow the government to take from others. We cannot sit isolated from the effects of this monster which our government is quickly becoming. It is a society which no longer represents the wishes of the people, but of special interest groups and those with a populist bent. If we are to remain free as a Nation we need to band together in defence of our freedoms and work together to ensure that our Nation remains one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, not the few.

God bless America! May we awaken to our sense of duty before it is too late, is my prayer for this Country. May we ever remain a Nation United.

The Freedoms: Commentary on the Bill of Rights, The Fourth Amendment

Now let's look at the Fourth Amendment. This is one that is very often quoted and claimed as a personal right of the people. It is most often referred to as the people's right of privacy. Here it is:
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers,
and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported
by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

As you can see this is a very important right guaranteed to the people by our Founding Fathers. The deemed it very necessary to ensure that the people's right to be protected against being violated by those authorities authorized by the government. Why would they feel it necessary to include this in the Bill of Rights? Well, like all the other rights guaranteed within the Bill of Rights we can find evidence of abuses perpetrated upon the people in America by the English government which eventually led to the Revolution, these abuses are referenced in the Declaration of Independence.

The customary practise in early Colonial America was one of which the government authorities carried with them general purpose warrants which gave them authority to search any home or asset which they deemed necessary of search. The practise was generally practised by tax collectors who by virtue of the Excise Act of 1754 were given authority to question any individual as to the use of goods received and search homes to ensure that all taxes were being paid that the individuals upon all goods. This law gave tax collectors powers to collect taxes upon all items found and seize those items which were prohibited or unaccustomed goods. When King George II died all heck broke loose. The law required that all the general warrants issued by his edict be expired within 6 months of his death and be re-issued by his successor. American courts ruled the writs as illegal and the Massachusetts Assembly passed a law requiring that local state judges issue writs and warrants, this rule was over turned by the English appointed governor of the State. John Adams viewed this issue the spark which ignited the Revolution.

If I were to write of all the Supreme Court rulings and decisions, clarifications and definitions it would fill volumes. Needless to say this Amendment has seen its day in court several times over. As a brief overview of these decisions it has been determined by the High Court that the Fourth Amendment is meant for the government and not private citizens. And that the right to privacy is only to the extent of a normal person's expectation of privacy.

I am grateful to our Founding Fathers for having placed this Amendment within the Bill of Rights. It shows that they were not power hungry and desired that the government which they were setting up would not be permitted to harm the people. The Founding Fathers believed in the people, which is something that our government has obviously stopped doing.

Our government must review the past, and remember the mindset of our Founding Fathers. If our government doesn't, the words of John Adams will be revived.