Happy Birthday America- 234 Years

 On September 17, 1787 the delegates of the Constitutional Convention being held in Philadelphia signed the document that brought into existence the United States of America. Up to that point we were not united in anything except for a desire to be free from English rule, and that was tenuous at its best.

This document was like non other in existence from the beginning of recorded time. It created unity where non existed. It limited government and provided power to the people. Indeed although penned by men, it was heaven inspired.  The document itself was designed to withstand the test of time by building within itself the method and manner in which it could and would be amended. A few years after its ratification by the various States of the Union a Bill of Rights was added to identify those rights which are inseparable to life itself. Rights identified by members of Congress to be God-given and immutable.

A hotly debated topic during the Convention, and one that threatened the very success of this delegation was that of slavery. Many delegates were adamant that slavery must be outlawed in the newly formed republic. The debate became intense with the southern states opposing any document outlawing African slavery. While the northern states were just as adamant about accepting any document legalizing the enslavement of human beings. The more centrists within the delegation knew that there must be a compromise between the two factions or all would be lost, and the republic would not succeed.

These centrists felt it more prudent to compromise at the present time with the full understanding that a later date the subject would be picked back up with a more favorable outcome for the outlawing of human servitude. We all know the story, the delegates were able to reach a suitable compromise for all parties and the convention was a roaring success. The results of that convocation of the best minds in America was the formation of a Nation.

Since its inception, the United States of America has been under attack by those who would change and or eliminate The Constitution of the United States. Whether those attacks have come from outside sources or from within, they have been unceasing. 

For the most part we have withstood all these varied attacks. We've had some moments of what can be deemed "Constitutional Crisis", but these have been resolved and we have moved on as a Nation of laws organized under The Constitution. This has served us well and we have seen the remarkable foresight of the forefathers in the organization of that unique document. 

Most recently we have experienced a time like none other in the history of this Nation. The chaos that has engulfed our large cities throughout the entire country has been widespread and deep rooted. Rooted in what I consider to be falsehoods. It has crippled local economies and turned once thriving metropolises into urban blight. Lawlessness abounds and law abiding citizens are relegated to the back of the proverbial bus while politicians utilize the chaos to further political agendas. 

Recently the Constitution was deemed a deeply racist document by the Biden administration. They declared that the wording found within the document is hurtful and outdated. They have all but unilaterally suspended the Constitution as the law of the land. The government repeatedly ignores the Constitution and workarounds are sought for, researched and created for everything.

America lasted 234 years. We are on life support, and we are coughing our last painful breaths as we slip away into oblivion. I don't recognize my country anymore. I still love it, and I honor the Constitution, and though wicked and idolatrous men and women seek to destroy the liberty and freedom of this people I will "not go gently into that....night".

This Nation can be saved if good men and women stand tall and defend freedom. Let your voice be heard. Remain silent no longer, but raise the warning voice for all to hear. Take back that which is yours, namely the power of the United States. For the power lies with "We the People of the United States", and not in the halls of government. They are but servants to the people and not the people to them. If we do this we will retain our rights as a people and once again be a Nation United.

The Right to Live Free

America was built on a foundation of freedom. I know there are many who would argue that fact because at the founding of this Great Nation slavery was legal and there were almost 700,000 slaves being held in servitude during that time. At the same time there were almost 60,000 free blacks in America when the Constitution was ratified. A number that would increase to almost 500,000 by the start of the Civil War. This was (not is) a sad part of America's history. The reason why I refuse to say that it is a sad time in America's history is because we corrected the wrong, and many people died to ensure it would end.

So, back to my original statement, America was built upon a foundation of freedom. The people who came here wanted to be free They were looking to escape persecution from religious bigots and fanatics. They were looking for the opportunity to be free from serfdom. They were longing for something more than what they had back home. They saw a vast new world and they wanted a chance to make something out of it, and they did.

Where did we go wrong? At what point in our history did we decide that freedom was no longer important? It's hard to really pinpoint a specific event when you look back through the history books; where you can say that you've found the hinge point of American's saying that they'd had enough freedom and needed to reigned in a bit. It sounds a little peculiar to say, but in all seriousness that is what is happening in our Country today. Well did Benjamin Franklin say when he stated, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 

We seem to be falling all over ourselves as a Nation to embrace socialism that we have allowed our elected officials to outright defy the Constitution and to pontificate upon the merits of socialism and the need to fundamentally alter the state of affairs in the United States to transition to a more socialistic government. Why would we willingly deny our freedom and allow a select group of self-important, high-minded, chest pounding, dream crushing elected officials rule over us? 

I love my freedom. I do not believe that anyone in Washington DC has my best interest in mind. If you do, you are fooling yourself. They sit there imposing their beliefs upon us demanding that we listen to them and do as they say because they know more, and are better suited to make the important decisions. They demand that we the plebs of society do exactly as they have dictated all the while doing the opposite themselves. For example Obamacare. It was passed and forced upon the American people, but in the law they excluded themselves from having to follow the law. And that is just one example of their hypocrisy. 

The Constitution of the United States of America guarantees our freedom by outlining the responsibility of the Federal government. It lays out the distribution of powers among the three branches, and places limits on the expansion or overreaching nature inherent in government. The Founders knew that if not specifically outlined , that due to the nature of man the government would try to consolidate more power and authority than what they were willing to permit. This has flustered the power hungry politicians for over two centuries. Now they just don't care. They have made an end run around the Constitution and they like the feeling of being free from the oppression of limits of power and authority.

If we as a people don't do something we will find ourselves without the protections that the Constitution contains. That document sits precariously upon the precipice of annihilation and we as a Nation are more concerned with what some prince and his wife have to say to Oprah. We need to wake up and stop allowing ourselves to be lulled away into this listless acceptance of whatever we are told to think and believe.

The so called "cancel culture" that has taken root in America has to be challenged or we will lose our individual identity as a people. Group think does not work, It is the individuality of thought that spurs change and improvement in our daily lives. If we allow this to die, our Nation will follow suit and we will have lost.

We need to be alerted to the fact that the government derives its powers from the people, for the people. It exists because we allow it to. We the people of the United States of America established it for the governance of the affairs of this Nation. We do not exist to be governed and directed in our affairs. The overreach of the government has been criminal as of late.This need to tell us how to think and how to live our lives is outright unconstitutional.

My fellow Americans, it is time that we push back against the tide of tyranny or it will push us into the corral of enslavement to an oppressive government. I am not calling for war, but for action. Stand up and let your voice be heard. Push back against those who would enslave you by denying them the opportunity to do so. As a people it is imperative that we understand that this is not a Democrat vs Republican issue. That is more smoke and mirrors utilized to distract from the real issue. We must refuse additional national debt, we must refuse additional encroachment on our freedoms. We must demand answers and responsible governance in accordance with the Constitution of the United States of America.

If we do this we have the chance of saving this Nation, and preserving it for a free people to inherit for as long as we are able to stem the tide of despotism and tyranny. Then we will be a Nation United.

The Hubris of Stimulus

 A lot is being said the past few months about government sponsored stimulus. Of course, stimulus is not solely the result of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the government likes to utilize the carrot of stimulus to feign action in times of economic crisis.

 

The truth is that stimulus checks do not produce any relief. The bills containing the token payments to the public are rife with bailouts and pet projects. Think about it. They tell the American people, (the tax payers, those upon whose shoulders rest the success of the economy), here’s your pittance in whatever amount they feel will make the dog’s stop barking and then they dole out large swaths of money to special interest groups, and foreign nations. Truth be told, giving billions of American Taxpayer dollars to foreign nations does not necessarily or even remotely benefit the American people. I mean you can squint your eyes, stand on your head, and bounce and you still can’t see a benefit to the American people, initially. Eventually you will get brain damage and who knows you might start seeing that benefit, but barring a major head injury and impaired judgement there’s no benefit.

 

Corporate bailouts do not work like they are “intended” to. Remember TARP and the big insurance companies and banks that were bailed out? A great deal of that money went to shore up overseas business. Bailing out a state suffering from failed policies, does not help either. We have all heard the definition of insanity, right? It’s doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If a state is failing because of its policies and nothing changes and millions of dollars are poured into the state in the form of tax-payer funded bailouts— the same thing is going to happen again and all the money spent did absolutely nothing, but line the pockets of lawmakers and special interest groups. 

 

Do I sound a little cynical here? I hope that I do. Because handing out money doesn’t help. What does help then? Well, the answer is simple. It’s the answer is the same answer used throughout history to spur economic recovery. Granted it’s not immediate in its optics, but it is lasting in its results. That’s the problem with today’s citizen. We are not patient we want something right now, if it’s not immediate we need to whine about it until we get what we want. Look at the great depression, the people were suffering, jobless numbers were staggering, the unemployment rate was 24.9%. I am not a big fan of the New Deal introduced by Roosevelt, but it put people to work on the various government jobs like the TVA, building roads, and etcetera.  As people were able to get back to work the economy began its recovery. Then minimum wage was instituted under the FLSA in 1938, and there was a spike in unemployment. You see companies that were struggling coming out of the depression were unable to pay the required minimum and so they had to let people go. Does this sound a little familiar? It should. We are coming out of a huge world pandemic that has created an economic crisis of global proportions. Many small companies are barely hanging on due to government instituted polices that have kept them either closed or running at minimum capacity. The government is stepping in with their latest iteration of stimulus which includes the $15 minimum wage requirement for employers. This anti-recovery move portends to have disastrous effects upon our employment status within the United States.  But deep down inside we know that is the intended purpose. I recently heard a Democrat Lawmaker respond to the question asked to him about the impact on companies that are unable to pay $15 minimum per hour because they are struggling, his response was that they know that there are some companies unable to pay that, and in all honesty, they didn’t want companies that were not willing to increase pay. In layman terms, small companies can just shut down completely and make room for large corporations to meet the needs of the American consumer. In essence it is the promotion of government sponsored monopolies, or should I use that oft avoided dog whistle, an oligarchy.  That is a subject for another day.

 

The point is that stimulus checks sent to tax-payers are smoke screens for bigger more nefarious things. It’s a way of the government establishing itself as the overseer of everything. Don’t get me wrong, the government has its place. That’s why they are instituted by men. It exists because we will it to exist. Government power and authority is not inherent or inherited. It is granted through the Constitution, by the people of the United States of America. We have allowed this cockeyed view of our relationship to government to completely permeate every aspect of society. The view of an all-powerful government to whom we subject to. A government that has control over every aspect of our daily lives and it keeps growing in its oversight. Now we have a government that believes that it has the power and authority to silence opposition. 

 

Listen to the rhetoric coming from Washington. Talk of reprogramming and eliminating those who don’t hold their world view. The cadence at which this talk is growing is alarming and should cause all freedom loving citizens of this Nation to stand aghast and repulse it with fervor. Our freedom is being eroded away by the under-currents of political bigotry while we are being sold on the surface a desire to strengthen the republic. The infighting between the two major political parties of the day is fueled by rancor and vitriol.

 

The United States of America was built upon a foundation of freedom established by an amalgamation of the people fleeing the very things our government is attempting to do at this very moment in history. The Constitution is only referenced when suitable to the situation, otherwise it is ridiculed and torn to shreds by the very body of people who swore an oath to uphold it.  It sickens me to see the applause that they receive as they declare their disgust for this Nation and their desire to fundamentally alter it into vision of their progressive utopia. 

 

I ask you, the reader a question. If the government were to offer you a guaranteed living wage, housing, food, and medical coverage, would you be willing to relinquish your right to the protections of the Constitution of the United States? If your answer is yes, well congratulations— you are going to get your chance. If your answer is no, you had better do all within your legal power to turn the tide because we are well on our way down this course.

 

If we are to remain free we must be willing to fight within the confines of the law. I do not advocate stuff like what has happening throughout the country with the riots, and occupations of large tracks of America’s cities. Nor do I condone what happened on January 6^th in Washington DC. To me they are one and the same.  You cannot applaud one and condemn the other it is the very definition of hypocrisy. If we do not get a hold of ourselves as a Nation we will never be able to recover what we are losing and will yet lose without the effusion of greats amounts of blood. No, that is not a threat, that is a fact. Once usurped freedom will be a hard fight to regain. My plea is for civility and commonsense legislation that will put America back on track to success and prosperity.  My hope is that we can open our eyes and see the deception before us and the manipulation that is going on. My call is for unity under the Constitution and its principles of freedom. May we ever remain a Nation united!

America, Where Are You?

 With the recent chaos that has engulfed our cities in the United States, I have found myself bewildered at the seeming acceptance of all the lawlessness. America has always been a land of law and order (now, before you jump down my throat and bring up the race riots of the 60’s, Rodney King, and events like those, I will speak to those events later). As a whole, we have always sought for peace and to settle discord through legal means. Yes, demonstrations have occurred throughout the history of our great nation, and some have devolved into bedlam, but America has always sought for justice through law.

 

Let me define America. America is not a land, it is not borders, flags, politicians, etc. America is the people. We are what make America, America. The opening words of the Constitution of the United States of America states, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish the Constitution for the United States of America.” You see, “we the people” moved to establish a more perfect union. “We the people” establish justice, domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare of our fellow citizens, and “we the people” secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity. Therefore, America is “we the people”.  There is no other way of defining what America is, America is the people. 

 

There is a lot to be said of the people. We come from all walks of life. Whether from the squalor of poverty or from the lavish luxury of wealth and everything in between.  We come from many varied experiences in life. We are a strong and resilient people. We are giving and charitable to our core. We have a long tradition of protecting those who cannot protect themselves. We hate bullies and never back down when faced with opposition.

 

That being said, I ask again, America, where are you? We are witnessing our cities burn, get looted, vandalized and taken over by thugs and lowlifes. That’s right, I said lowlifes. Those who would put their desire to destroy and pillage before the needs of all others are lowlifes, selfish, self-centered, pathetic, and scum. I make no apologies for my harsh critique of these thugs. No man (and I use that term loosely) or woman should feel that they have the right to destroy other’s property or to take life because of an ideology that they adhere to. And that is what it is, an ideology base on emotion and lies. They refuse to look at facts, but would rather believe the hype because it fuels the innate animal within them. 

 

Have there been innocent people shot and killed by the police? The answer is admittedly, yes. Yes, there has been. Just one innocent person killed at the hands of police is horrible. Just this year alone there have been 558 total police shootings; 111 of those were of black citizens and 215 were of white citizens. The remaining are a combination of Hispanic, other and those of an unknown race. That’s a lot of people. Some of those people were innocent and some were not. 

The reality is that not everyone shot and killed by police are the victims of police brutality. There are some who were in the act of committing a crime. Who were fighting with police and/or were threatening to hurt or kill an innocent person. In all actuality, the vast majority of encounters with law enforcement do not terminate with the death of someone. That is the Hollywood portrayal of police encounters. There are indeed some bad officers. Just as there are bad teachers who rape their students, just as there are bad truck drivers who kidnap and kill people, the list can go on and on. There are bad people. We know that, we see it all around us. The murder rate in the United States is 6 in every 100,000 people. That’s a lot of bad people. Not that I am attempting to marginalized those who are killed at the hands of officers of the law. But if you take a look at the previously noted number of 111 black citizens (since this seems to be the only number of victims that we are concerned about in the United States right now) only a fraction of those individuals was unarmed, and out of those only a small fraction were innocent victims of what could be characterized in the majority of cases as a split-second decision that was wrong. I wholeheartedly believe that the vast majority of police officers do not have a personal vendetta against people of color. I believe it to be a disingenuous argument to say otherwise, and those who pound their moral chests and pontificate upon the injustices committed against people of color by the systemic racism that exists in law enforcement are stoking the fires of discord for political and personal agendas. And America is silent.

I am tired of watching my beloved country collapse into a chasm of moral decay. The citizen is silenced by a minority of the populace fearing that they will offend, or be ridiculed into silence. People express their feelings and they lose their job. Online trolls scour the pages of social media to lay waste to those who dare hold a differing opinion than their own, and then they scurry back into their online anonymity like the roaches that they are. 

 

There is no guarantee within the Constitution of the United States that you will not be offended. The fact that there are such a vast number of differing opinions on any given subject should cause the average American to shout hallelujah at the showcase of freedom that that represents to the world, but we don’t. We cower to the chaos. We sit in silence as we watch our land descend down the rabbit hole from which there is no easy escape, and our nation burns and crumbles before our eyes and we shut our eyes and pretend that nothing is happening and we go our merry way. We pound our chests and foam at the mouth as we defend a political affiliation, but when it comes to this Land, we sit idly and quietly doing nothing.

 

My heart breaks at the sight before me. Death goes unnoticed unless that death is a black citizen and the cops were the cause of death otherwise the death doesn’t matter to the masses gathered demanding that we declare the supremacy of black lives. This while the murder rate in Chicago and other cities skyrocket dwarfing previously reported years in the same timeframe. How can we expect to live free and perpetuate this great city set on a hill when we cannot even stand for justice for all people? When we are lambasted for declaring that all life matters? When we defend the right to life of an unborn child and are ridiculed for those personal beliefs, and then are sentenced to years in prison for ending the life of a litter of puppies. Life matters means nothing to society today. Because life doesn’t matter, agendas matter, political platforms matter, the new trendy hairstyle, clothing line, car, Tik Tok challenge, etc matter, but life doesn’t matter to society anymore. Unless that life can be used as political fodder. Then and only then does life matter.

 

This is not America. At least the America that we are supposed to be. It’s not the America bequeathed to us by our forefathers. Yes, our forefathers. The Constitution was written for all people regardless of color, race or creed. It was written to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all people. So, America, where are you? Are you going to rise up and take your country back from the brink, or are you going to sit there in quiet repose and do nothing and watch it burn? Will you rise to the occasion or shrink before the cause of liberty?

 

This all stops when we arrive at the conclusion that we are America. That we are not racists. That we are not hate filled. That we are the most giving and charitable nation upon the face of the earth. That we are great because we are good in our hearts and we should be willing to spread our goodness.

 

So, America, where are you? Stand and be counted! Stand and take back your cities. Take back your freedom. Take back your nation and be a Nation United!

Race in America

Much has been said about what America is as of late. Most of what is being said is not good. If you were to take a surface level look at everything that is published in the media or reported on our television sets you would think that America is the most egregious violator of civil rights in the known world. As a Nation, we are so racist that people of color fear leaving their homes every day because they don't know whether they will return because they might be killed by a cop. The rioting hordes in the streets denounce the United States. Those taking part in "peaceful" protests are demanding that systemic racism be ferreted out and everyone punished for their role.

You have entertainers (from all genres) and politicians demonstrating their angst and anger over their recent revelation that "racism" is a problem in society. They pound their chests and claim a new level of enlightenment that has helped them see the problem. Then, like all good boys and girls, they swear to do something, to be a part of the solution and to promulgate their solution to the whole United States to stop this great injustice to people of color.

First of all, before I go on, let me tell all of these self-righteous, hypocrites that I don't need them to defend me. Yes, I am a person of color. Yes, I have experienced bigotry, prejudice, bias and in a very few instances actual racism (and that was in Spain, not the United States of America). I am more than capable of handling my own issues when they arise and they don't arise often. I don't wake up terrified of walking out my door and driving to work thinking that I am going to be stopped by the police and beaten or worse yet killed. There is nobody who actually feels that way. Those who do are not afraid of the police, but those that the police are trying to stop from committing crimes against society. So let's be perfectly honest here, the police are not evil and they don't put on their uniform every day with the hope that they will be able to put another notch in their belt indicating another person of color that they either beat or killed that day. It's disingenuous to say otherwise.

Secondly, let's define racism. I know what society's definition is, which is pretty much anything that they want to say it is, but none of these definitions are the actual definition of racism. Racism is defined as "a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race". I do not believe that there is a systemic problem among white people thinking that they are superior to people of color. Don't misunderstand me, I am not saying that there are not some people who actually believe that they are superior to another based solely off of race. What I am saying is that there is not a systemic problem with this. Additionally, I believe this is a universal problem found within all races. Growing up I would here my people going around saying "la raza" (the race, for those who don't speak Spanish). I asked what it meant and was told that is was to signify the power and superiority of our race. The blacks in our neighborhood would shout "black power". There would be fights in school and in the community with one race trying to subject the other through fear and intimidation (and no, the whites didn't have a dog in that fight). So it exists among all sects of society.

So if I don't believe that racism is the underlying problem; what is the problem? Well, let me answer that. I believe that we have a problem with prejudice, bigotry and bias based on race. And this is rooted in ignorance and intolerance. Ignorance is dangerous and we are seeing just how dangerous being played out before our eyes on the evening news cycles. We are bombarded with scenes and stories of victimization or perceived victimization. I apologize to those reading this for what I am about to say. Please understand that I mean no disrespect, but I must say it. We see our lily white neighbors foaming at the mouth screaming at the top of their lungs that we need to stop killing black people. Well in practice I think that is pretty good advice. If they are killing black people or anybody of color or other white people for that matter, I think that they should stop immediately and turn themselves in to be prosecuted. If they are not, they need to shut their mouths and stop acting like fools. 

I saw a video the other day of a white gentleman screaming in the face of a black police officer calling him every obscenity in the book telling him that he was a 'black Judas'. Now, let me put this into perspective for you (me being a man of color and maybe your not. I don't know), how do you think it feels as a person of color to be told by a white person how you should be feeling and what you should be doing? Think about it for a moment before you move on. You done thinking about it? Let me tell you how it feels. Nothing drives me more crazy and nothing screams actual racism than when a white person tells me how I should be feeling and what I should be doing about how I should be feeling. Or, when they tell me that if I don't agree with them then I must have never experienced anything in my life and lived a sheltered existence and that I need to open my eyes to what's going on. I have actually had "well meaning" white people tell me that. I don't need them to tell me what I've experienced in my life. I've experienced it. I don't need them to tell me how I need to or should react to what I've experienced, because I've already dealt with it in my own way, and guess what they didn't have to tell me how to deal with it because I somehow without their help knew what to do. It's amazing I know, a person of color not needing a "well meaning" white angel screaming in my face telling me how to feel.

Yes, I've experienced prejudice, bigotry and bias. My 4th grade year I went to a predominately white school. When I say predominately white I mean 99.9999% white. I was the only Hispanic and there was one Native American. Every day that I went to school I was called "spic", "wetback", "cherry picker" and so forth. Every day someone wanted to beat me up because of the color of my skin. I learned to defend myself quickly. I would pretend that I was sick so that I would not have to go to school. We tried to get a district waiver to allow me to go to a more diverse school, but we were told that it was all in my head and was denied the waiver. I was forced to go through hell every day. I was so happy when we moved. A few years ago I was stopped for DWM (driving while Mexican). I just came from a business meeting and was in a suit and a big old truck. I noticed that I had an unusual amount of police vehicles following me, but didn't think much of it because I wasn't doing anything. I then noticed that these police vehicles were actually starting to box me in and then all of a sudden I was forced off the road, surrounded by about 10 cruisers and demanded to keep my hands in open view. I complied since they all had their guns drawn and they seemed pretty serious. I was questioned and vetted then was told that they stopped me for not having insurance on my truck. That was a lie because I did have insurance on my truck. A couple of days later the same thing happened again. 
I've been followed in stores, refused service in jewelry stores, gun stores, car dealerships, etc. The list goes on, but that is not the point of this posting. I just want to establish that I've experienced things and guess what I am still alive and for the most part I think that I am well adjusted.

I saw a video a couple of weeks ago of a white lady kneeling before a group of black men and she was kissing their feet pleading for forgiveness. Each man made her kiss his feet and then came back to have her do it again. This scene was disgraceful and I am appalled that one; she felt the need to do that, and two; that they were relishing in the act. What kind of society are we trying to create here? Are we determined to make all white people out to be the enemy and pariah of society? We demand equality by demanding the un-equalization of  society. I know of no white person who currently owns or has owned a slave. I know of no white person who currently owns or has owned a white robe and pointed hood. I know of no white person who wakes up every morning looking for that one unsuspecting person of color that they are going to make miserable that day. I do know many who just want to live their lives. They could care less about the color of the skin of the person that sits next to them. And it's not because they don't see you and your struggles, it's because they have their own struggles that they are dealing with.

If we are to have peace we need to stop pitting one race against another here in the United States of America. We need to stop looking for racism and start looking for solutions. One solution would be to eliminate laws that put people on uneven ground (i.e. hate crime legislation because all crime is rooted in hate). Stop fighting school choice options, thus allowing children from inner city failing schools to attend better schools. We have proven that throwing money at schools doesn't make things better. We need to refocus our educational efforts to allow for learning rather than mere indoctrination. We must focus on removing ignorance from the general populace understanding that it is a choice to remain in ignorance. The Constitution of the United States, does not intend to put everyone on equal ground, but rather it provides the opportunity for everyone to have equal opportunity and access. There is a difference.

We need to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. We need to teach its principles and ensure that our laws justly represent it in scope and purpose. We need to ensure that all rights are being extended equally to all individuals regardless of the color of their skin. The freedom guaranteed within the Constitution of the United States is for all and is universal in nature. 

Primarily, we need to turn to God and establish His word in our hearts and ask for forgiveness. We need to put down our weapons of our rebellion against His laws and accept all as our brothers and sisters, equal in the eyes of the law. We need to stop the violence against our own people. We need to respect life at all stages. We need to acknowledge that life is a gift from a loving God and that life matters regardless of who you are or what you've done. The popular rebuttal to the "all life matters vs. black lives matter" argument is that when we say that all lives matter are we saying that pedophiles matter, and thus we can't say all lives matter. My answer to that is yes, the life of a pedophile matters. His crimes are heinous and represent the deepest betrayal of society, but he or she is still a son or daughter of God and will answer for their sin, but of us it is required to forgive all...their trespasses.

Lastly, we need to stop hyphenating our Americanism. We have so many hyphenated Americans that it is ridiculous. No other country does that, yet here we are dividing ourselves with words and grammatical markings. This encourages the us vs them mentality. Let's just be Americans. Let's stand shoulder to shoulder and honor this Nation as the freest Nation on earth (or at least it should be). Let's take those that would divide us and pit us against each other for power and control over us and show them the door (in some cases a prison door). Let's show these high-minded erudites that they are nothing. Let us, We The People, take back this Nation and the power which belongs to us. We can do this, and we must do it, or all will be lost, and this great experiment of freedom will be gone forever.
My fellow Americans, let us on this day, this Independence Day here declare that America will not fall on our watch. Let us stand united in purpose and resolve to ensure freedom's noble banner waves from sea to shining sea. Let us be that light on the hill that we have always been meant to be. That beacon to the world that freedom reigns supreme. Let us be a Nation United!

America in Shutdown

I've been following what has been going on in Washington with great interest.  I have been amazed that there are certain individuals within the halls of Congress who have despite the personal attacks and hate speech directed at them (in many cases by members of their own party) have stayed true to their message of the People First.  I for one find this behavior refreshing since it has been awhile since I've seen it come from any of the halls of government.  It is always easy to stand for something when you stand with many, but that becomes extremely more difficult when you stand alone, so I for one applaud those taking a stand and letting their voice be heard.

That being said, I would like to talk about what is happening over there in Washington.  We are experiencing a widening of the gap that separates us from them.  What I mean is that the politicians in Washington for so long have been entrenching themselves in their lofty positions and redirecting power away from the people and placing it in their hands and those of bureaucrats in Washington who answer to them and not the people.  You have to understand that when the Founding Fathers wrote the words, "We, the People of the United States....", they literally meant "WE", you and me, us.  The initials of our great Nation say it all "US"!  The power of the government doesn't lie in them it lies in US.  It is similar to giving a Power of Attorney to someone to officiate in our business affairs in our behalf.  Each Senator, Representative and President operates under this Power of Attorney.  They are to operate the affairs of government as if we were operating them and therefore they are to listen to us as a people.  They are to put us first before anybody else.  That means rather than giving billions in aid to Egypt or Russia or some other foreign government they are to take care of the affairs of this Nation.  They are to listen when we say no more, they are to listen when we say that we don't want to be forced to enroll in government sponsored healthcare.  They are supposed to run to do their job when we tell them to take care of it.  At least this is how government should operate here in the United States of America, but as you well know it doesn't.

Our government has been operating well beyond this basic definition that I've given.  They are operating outside the Power of Attorney given to them and they've been doing it to this point with impunity.  For the most part they've done it under the guise of that they were just trying to help and make our lives easier  because why would we want to trouble ourselves with the affairs of government.  They played the humble servant card while talking to us and then mocked us behind closed doors.  Now, they are openly and blatantly thumbing their noses to our faces and telling us that we have no voice, that they are the powerful ruling class and we are to do as they tell us or suffer the consequences of our choices.  Time and time again we the people are being pushed aside for special interests and Party rather than National loyalty. 

This has brought us to this point.  The President has been impotent as a "leader".  He has not led in Washington from the front, but has sat back and thrown fuel on the fire and then stands on the sidelines imputing blame upon the Republicans or more specifically the Tea Party and Conservatives within the Republican Party.  He has shown that he is not the great healer that he was made out to be, but rather the opposite.  He is the great divider, he is working extra hard to destroy all peace within our Nation to cause pain and suffering where none need be felt.

This brings me to the Senate.  That great Congress of self-important, self-obsessed men and women who love the greetings in the marketplace and to sit in the high places of importance.  Who in all their babbling have nothing important or reasonable to say.  They who out of show recognize time old tradition while on the floor of the Senate and then spit in the face of the American people.  When the Constitution was ratified the Senators were appointed by the individual State Legislatures.  This ensured that each Senator serving would be loyal to the State and work to protect the interests of the State.  This was practiced until May 31, 1913 when the 17th Amendment was officially adopted into the United States Constitution.  Those who pushed for the reform of how Senators should be chosen were Progressives. 

You see, the Constitution specifically separated the powers and duties of each arm of the government for specific reasons.  The House of "Representatives", these Representatives were to represent more the interests of the People who voted them into office, that is why there are so many of them as they represent a specified number of constituents within their voting districts. That is why they were given the authority to pass budgets and allocate funds because they represent the People and the desires of the People and are to disperse the funds of the People according to the will of the People and not according to the will of their party and or third party group or entity lobbying for preferential treatment.  This is their most basic duty.

The Senate was to represent the will of the State.  The elected State officials who, once again, represent the will of the citizens of their respective districts were to appoint the Senator, who would be subject to the State officials and thereby loyal to the needs of the State and responsive to those needs.  By changing this dynamic you now have a scenario as we see now where the Senator for a state might be liberal but the majority of the Representatives in the House are not as are the majority of the Representatives on the State level, but now we have a new dynamic where they are pitted against the will of the People as they are now not subject to State Legislatures, but to Party affiliations and purposes.  This has been no more evident than in what is happening today in Washington.

The 17th Amendment was essential to the Progressive movement in order to create a scenario where the will of the many would be subjugated by the will of the few.  I understand that Senators are voted in by popular vote, and that is not what I mean by the previous statement.  large cities tend to move towards a more liberal bent due to certain circumstances which exist within metropolitan areas, but outside of large cities we see the majority of the population lean more toward a conservative position.  We see this in California, which is typically considered a mecca for liberalism.  There are several Representatives in the House that are Republican, but both Senators are Democrats, thus silencing the voice of the Conservative Citizen within the State of California.  I am not saying that if the State Legislature were to select a Senator for California, that the person would be Conservative, but what I am saying is that these individuals in states like California are essentially silenced and are not given place at the table when it comes to the protection of their individual rights.

We as a people are constantly being told that we have no choice but to do what they, the government tells us to do.  If they say they need more money, We the People need to dutifully give it to them because they so mandate.  If they want to listen to our calls and read our email, well we better not complain because we are too ignorant to know what is needed to be done to protect us from our simple stupidity.  If we don't want to participate in "obamacare", well that is not our call.  The government doesn't have to participate because the cost is too restrictive to them, but the people had better tow the line and do what they are told or be fined and have your money confiscated from your personal bank account.

Well, my fellow Americans, it is time that we revoke the Power of Attorney of many of our Senators and Representatives upon the grounds of dereliction of duty and for performance of duties beyond the scope of said Power of Attorney.  These people including the President of the United States are standing in direct opposition of the will of the People and we should not be willing to stand idly by and allow it to continue like this.  We have the power of government, not them.  I don't care what you've been taught to believe, the Constitution places the power of government squarely in the hands of the American People and it is time that we take it back. 

We need to stop being sheep and do something or we will have nothing to save.  We say that we care so much about our children that we are willing to allow the government to take away our Constitutionally guaranteed and protected right to keep and bare arms to protect the children, but we don't care to protect Freedom for them?  It makes no sense to a sensible person like me.  My mind whirls in utter amazement as I watch the reaction of people today towards the government shut down.

To fix this situation that we currently find ourselves in will not be easy.  We've allowed it to get this bad, and we must fix it or we will lose everything.  We need to stop the senseless spending and over-regulation of everything in life or we will find ourselves left out in the cold and without a Country.  We will find ourselves in the shackles of tyranny and then when that happens if we should then decide to do something we will only be able to get our Country back by the shedding of greats amounts of blood.  Wouldn't it be easier to suffer a little now, rather than fight later? 

We need to appreciate the gift of Freedom and Liberty or we will be given to servitude and oppression.  God grants Freedom, and man enslaves their brethren for power.  We can prevail, but we have to be willing to be a People United and thereby remain a Nation United.

State of the Union

Every Independence Day I take the time to study the Constitution of the United States.  It gives me the opportunity to get to know in more depth the freedoms guaranteed in that document and the limited role of government authorized by it as well.  This year as I begin my study, my heart is weighed down with sorrow. 

The events of the last week have sickened me.  The Supreme Court in a move that stunned and shocked the Nation declared the Affordable Healthcare Act, a.k.a. "obamacare", as Constitutional.  This based on the premise that the government is given authority under the Constitution to tax the people of this Nation.  Though it is true that the Congress has the power to tax us, they don't have the power to regulate our lives and purchase habits.  A tax is a "tariff" if you would on a purchase.  A mandate is being told that you must do something. The dictionary defines a mandate as an authoritative command.  Let's see, the law states, buy insurance or face a penalty.  That sounds like a mandate to me. 

George Washington, our First President and great Statesman said this in 1796, "Towards the preservation of your government...it is requisite... that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, however specious the pretexts.  One method of assault may be to effect, in the forms of the Constitution, alterations which will impair the energy of the system, and thus to undermine what cannot be directly overthrown."  I understand the desire to help others.  My heart burns within me to help those in need.  That being said, I understand that it is my duty to help those in need, not the governments.  The Constitution is plain in its delineation of powers.  The power or authority to help the needy lies in the people not in the government.  We cannot effectively preserve our Nation and neglect our Constitution.  We cannot seek for security and sell our birthrights.  We cannot give away our freedom and expect liberty.  If we continue to chop away at the Foundation of our Nation, we will shortly wake up to find that we are neither free or secure.  The enemy which we fight lives within each one of us.  That desire to allow someone else to take care of our obligations and to shirk our duty.  The laziness in which we view or exercise our Rights is causing a moral decay in this Nation that is epidemic.

We must fight off the natural man within us, and stand up and be men and women of resolve.  We must put our shoulder to the wheel and push along the cause of Freedom, or we will not be free.  We must turn the tide of socialism or progressivism and swing our Nation back to the Articles of the Constitution.  We must seek out men and women who know and understand, and then who love the Constitution and will fight for it. 

Our Nation is in trouble.  It's not Obama, although he is pushing it along very rapidly, but it is our Congress and Courts that are aiding in the destruction of this Nation.  Washington is full of liars and soothsayers.  Show me a true Statesman in Washington and I will work with that person to make a difference.  Show me a person in Washington with a backbone willing to make the hard decisions and I will support that person.  I am determined to see this Nation survive the attack from within.  I am determined to see this Nation forever remain a Nation United!