I came across another really interesting article at the American Thinker website again. This article is about the Enumerated Powers act which, to briefly summarize the act, states that every bill must clearly cite where in the constitution it finds the authority to enact that bill. Doesn't this sound like a great idea?
I have always wondered why we need so many congressmen and senators making law after law all year long. That gives us probably thousands of laws. How are we supposed to enforce all those laws? How are we supposed to even keep track? And now that some of the recent bills have been so huge that no one has even read them, how can we even be certain that those who swear to uphold and defend the constitution are staying within the bounds the constitution has set for them?
It only makes sense to enact a bill that will force congress to prove that each and every bill is, without a doubt, constitutional. In fact, it would be a great idea to make this act retroactive and go back and remove any law that is not constitutional.
I also think it is appalling that this act has come up in every congressional session for so long and has been shot down every time. How can we believe that our lawmakers are staying true to the oath they take to uphold and defend the constitution if they are not willing to simply show where they get the authority for each bill and amendment that they pass? I say, anyone who is not willing to religiously live by the constitution should be taken out of office as swiftly as possible. It is up to us to find out who they are and vote the bums out.
Friday, August 13, 2010
The True State of the Economy
What really is going on in our economy? It is hard to get a clear picture since we here one thing from the White House, that the worst is over and that we are on our way to recovery (even though none of us buy that). The media who appear to be partial to the President also report that things are looking up and even in some instances excuse the President by re-iterating the point that this is going to take a while to fix since the last administration made such a mess (again, none of us buy that excuse).
To get a clear picture I think we need to look around the word and back through history and compare our situation to other countries who have gone through similar problems. This brings me to an article that I read on the American Thinker website. The article compares the collapse of Argentina to what is happening now in our country and it is really interesting to me since I was in Argentina at the time of the collapse. Read the article here. It is chilling to get a little more perspective on what is going on and see how perilous it could be for our country. It looks like it is time for all of us to get involved and demand integrity and real change that is actually good for the country from our politicians.
To get a clear picture I think we need to look around the word and back through history and compare our situation to other countries who have gone through similar problems. This brings me to an article that I read on the American Thinker website. The article compares the collapse of Argentina to what is happening now in our country and it is really interesting to me since I was in Argentina at the time of the collapse. Read the article here. It is chilling to get a little more perspective on what is going on and see how perilous it could be for our country. It looks like it is time for all of us to get involved and demand integrity and real change that is actually good for the country from our politicians.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A Humbling Conversation With an Argentine Friend
The following is a conversation I had with a friend of mine from Argentina on Facebook. I will post the original comments (in Spanish) and the translation, in case my translation is sloppy.
Me:
"Quieres que lo diga en espanol? Tengo un blog que he empesado hace poco para compartir mi opinion sobre lo que esta pasando en los Estados Unidos ahora porque siento que lo que esta pasando es que estamos perdiendo la libertad que hemos disfrutado y no me puedo quedar en silencio. Tengo que hacer cualquier cosa que pueda para avanzar la causa de libertad y la primera cosa que puedo hacer as tener un blog."
Do you want me to say it in Spanish? I have a blog that I started a while ago to share my opinion about what is going on in the United States right now because I feel that what is happening is we are loosing the freedoms that we have enjoyed and I cannot remain silent. I have to do whatever I can to further the cause of freedom and the first thing that I can do is to start a blog.
Maria (from Argentina):
"Estuve leyendo con el traductor de Windows, no es muy bueno, entonces no podía estar segura de que las opiniones de tu blog fueran tuyas...
Me parece muy bueno que lo hagas, los ciudadanos tenemos que participar, pensé que en los Estados estaba todo bien...
Acá, Joe, está todo mal...es tan triste, creo que siempre seremos pobres, con mi esposo trabajamos y no logramos salir adelante, nuestra casa está más rota que cuando vos estuviste acá, no logramos ganar más que el dinero justo como para la comida y algún gasto fijo, pero NADA MÁS, no logramos crecer económicamente. Ultimamente nos sentimos muy desanimados porque ya no sabemos qué hacer para salir adelante... De todas maneras, CREÉME, que Ustedes están mejor!!! Nosotros no podemos comprar ropa para nuestros hijos, tampoco para nosotros; nosotros tenemos que calentarnos con la misma salamandra q vos conociste, con leña y en los cuartos de los niños hace frío, tenemos frío para bañarnos; nustra heladera está rota, nuestro auto viejo está roto en el taller hace más de un mes y no podemos arreglarlo, Jesús va al trabajo en bici con todas sus herramientas (sólo tenemos una bici para toda la familia)....etc, etc, etc.....
No quiero que llores por nosotros!!!jajajaja....Qui
Contale a Suzanne cómo vivimos aquí en Argentina y DISFRUTEN, DISFRUTEN, DISFRUTEN y, claro, sigan luchando por un país mejor."
I was reading with the translator on Windows, it isn't very good, so I can't be sure that the opinions from your blog were yours...
It seems to me very good what you are doing, we, the citizens, have to participate, I thought that all was well in the Sates... Here, Joe, it's all bad... it is very sad, I believe will always be poor, with my husband we work but we cannot get ahead, our house is more broken than when you were here, we cannot make more than just enough money to cover the food and some fixed expenses, but NOTHING ELSE, we cannot grow economically. Lately we are feeling discourages because we do not know what to do to get ahead.... In every way, BELIEVE ME, you are better off!!! We cannot buy clothes for our kids, or for ourselves; we have to heat ourselves with the same little heater that you saw when you were here, with firewood and in the kids rooms it is still cold, we have cold water to bath ourselves with; Our fridge is broken, our old car is broken and has been in the shop for more than a month and we cannot fix it. Jesus rides his bike to work with all his tools (we only have one bike for the whole family)... etc, etc, etc... I don't want yout to cry for us!!! hahaha... I want you to enjoy what you have, because even in the USA things are happening that you don't like, you still live in a country where it is NORMAL to have a heater, where it is NORMAL to go on vacations, where it is NORMAL to was dishes and clothes with a machine... ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY FRIEND. You know I am always joking around, but NOT this time. I have thought about it a lot and that you must have done something food en the pre-existence to have been born in a PRIVILEGED COUNTRY.
Tell Suzanne how we live here an Argentina and ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY, and of course, kepp fighting for a better country.
Me:
"Maria, gracias por contarme su situacion y ayudarme a recordar cuan grande es la bendicion vivir en este pais. Se sin duda que tengo una vida muy bendecida y espero que cada persona tuviera la misma vida que yo disfruto. Agradezco mi Padre Celestial cada dia por la bendicion que yo tengo de sostener a mi familia y la bendicion de tener un trabajo. No creo que merezco una vida tan bendecida porque siento que no he hecho ninguna cosa para merecer la bendicion de vivir en este pais y tener la seguridad que tengo. La razon por la que empece mi blog no fue para quijarme de la situacion economica de este pais ni mi sitacion economica pero empece mi blog porque yo creo que estamos perdiendo nuestra libertad. Los que gobiernan este pais estan dandose mas poder sobre nosotros los ciudadanos. Poder para quitarnos la libertad de escoger lo que hacemos con lo que ganamos. Poder para quitarnos la libertad aun de saber la verdad de lo que esta pasando en este pais. Aun estan luchando para quitarnos la libertda de prensa y la libertad de hablar criticamente del gobierno. Estan intentando cambiar la sistema de nuestra gobierno a comunismo. Si perdimos la libertad en los Estados Unidos no se que pasara a la iglesia ni a la causa de libertad en el mundo. Se por cierto que las fuerzas de satanas estan luchando para quitarnos la libertad porque si sucedan no habra nada que les impide seguir destruyendo la familia y la iglesia. Le digo esto porque quiero aclarar que no me estoy quejando de la situacion economica en que me encuentro porque se que es la libertad que disfruto en este pais que hace posible la verdad de que, si me esfuerzo y trabjo todo lo que puedo, es possible salir adelante en la vida y ser exitoso. Pero aun mas importante, es la libertad que disfrutamos en este pais que nos da el poder para establecer el reino de dios y compartir el evangelio y tomar el mensaje de la libertad de nustras almas al mundo. Creo que la guerra que mepezo en los cielos entre el bien y el mal sigue hoy con el mismo furor y yo quiero luchar por el bien y por la libertad en cada campo de batalla que puedo tanto espiritualmente como temporalmente."
Maria, thank you for telling me about your situation and helping me remember how great a blessing it is to live in this country. I know without a doubt that I have a very blessed life and I wish that every person could have the same life that I enjoy. I thank my Father in Heaven every day for the blessing I have of providing for my family and the blessing of having a job. I do not believe that I deserve such a blessed life because I feel like I have done nothing to deserve the blessing of living in this country and having the security that I do. The reason that I started my blog is because I believe we are loosing our freedom. Those that govern this country are giving themselves more power over us, the citizens. Power to take away our freedom to choose what we do with what we earn, power to take away the freedom even to know the truth about what is going on in this country. They are even fighting to take away the freedom of the press and to criticize the government. They are trying to change the system of government in this country to communism. If we loose freedom in the United States I do not know what will happen to the church or to the cause of freedom around the world. I know for certain that the forces of Satan are fighting to take away our freedom because, if they succeed, there will be nothing standing in there way to continue destroying the family and the church. I tell you this because I want to clarify that I am not complaining about the economic situation in which I find myself because I know that it is the freedom that I enjoy in this country that makes possible the fact that, if I put forth the effort and work as hard as I can, it is possible to get ahead in life and be successful. But, even more importantly, it is the freedom that we enjoy en this country that gives us the power to establish the kingdom of God and share the gospel and take the message of the freedom of our souls to the world. I believe that the war that started in heaven between good and evil continues today with the same fury and I want to fight for good and for freedom and every battlefield that I can both spiritually and temporally.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This conversation that I had with Maria is humbling. It hurts me to know that my friends in Argentina are suffering through the difficult trials that they are. I pray that I may never forget the blessing that it is to live in this country, the richest and most blessed country in the whole world. I also pray that to have the courage to do whatever I can to further the cause of freedom and to lift all of Gods children to the standard of living that I know He feels we deserve. That lifting cannot come through government entitlement programs but through the goodness of our hearts, through charity, which is the pure love of Christ, and charity cannot be mandated, that was Satan's plan.
Me:
"Quieres que lo diga en espanol? Tengo un blog que he empesado hace poco para compartir mi opinion sobre lo que esta pasando en los Estados Unidos ahora porque siento que lo que esta pasando es que estamos perdiendo la libertad que hemos disfrutado y no me puedo quedar en silencio. Tengo que hacer cualquier cosa que pueda para avanzar la causa de libertad y la primera cosa que puedo hacer as tener un blog."
Do you want me to say it in Spanish? I have a blog that I started a while ago to share my opinion about what is going on in the United States right now because I feel that what is happening is we are loosing the freedoms that we have enjoyed and I cannot remain silent. I have to do whatever I can to further the cause of freedom and the first thing that I can do is to start a blog.
Maria (from Argentina):
"Estuve leyendo con el traductor de Windows, no es muy bueno, entonces no podía estar segura de que las opiniones de tu blog fueran tuyas...
Me parece muy bueno que lo hagas, los ciudadanos tenemos que participar, pensé que en los Estados estaba todo bien...
Acá, Joe, está todo mal...es tan triste, creo que siempre seremos pobres, con mi esposo trabajamos y no logramos salir adelante, nuestra casa está más rota que cuando vos estuviste acá, no logramos ganar más que el dinero justo como para la comida y algún gasto fijo, pero NADA MÁS, no logramos crecer económicamente. Ultimamente nos sentimos muy desanimados porque ya no sabemos qué hacer para salir adelante... De todas maneras, CREÉME, que Ustedes están mejor!!! Nosotros no podemos comprar ropa para nuestros hijos, tampoco para nosotros; nosotros tenemos que calentarnos con la misma salamandra q vos conociste, con leña y en los cuartos de los niños hace frío, tenemos frío para bañarnos; nustra heladera está rota, nuestro auto viejo está roto en el taller hace más de un mes y no podemos arreglarlo, Jesús va al trabajo en bici con todas sus herramientas (sólo tenemos una bici para toda la familia)....etc, etc, etc.....
No quiero que llores por nosotros!!!jajajaja....Qui
Contale a Suzanne cómo vivimos aquí en Argentina y DISFRUTEN, DISFRUTEN, DISFRUTEN y, claro, sigan luchando por un país mejor."
I was reading with the translator on Windows, it isn't very good, so I can't be sure that the opinions from your blog were yours...
It seems to me very good what you are doing, we, the citizens, have to participate, I thought that all was well in the Sates... Here, Joe, it's all bad... it is very sad, I believe will always be poor, with my husband we work but we cannot get ahead, our house is more broken than when you were here, we cannot make more than just enough money to cover the food and some fixed expenses, but NOTHING ELSE, we cannot grow economically. Lately we are feeling discourages because we do not know what to do to get ahead.... In every way, BELIEVE ME, you are better off!!! We cannot buy clothes for our kids, or for ourselves; we have to heat ourselves with the same little heater that you saw when you were here, with firewood and in the kids rooms it is still cold, we have cold water to bath ourselves with; Our fridge is broken, our old car is broken and has been in the shop for more than a month and we cannot fix it. Jesus rides his bike to work with all his tools (we only have one bike for the whole family)... etc, etc, etc... I don't want yout to cry for us!!! hahaha... I want you to enjoy what you have, because even in the USA things are happening that you don't like, you still live in a country where it is NORMAL to have a heater, where it is NORMAL to go on vacations, where it is NORMAL to was dishes and clothes with a machine... ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY FRIEND. You know I am always joking around, but NOT this time. I have thought about it a lot and that you must have done something food en the pre-existence to have been born in a PRIVILEGED COUNTRY.
Tell Suzanne how we live here an Argentina and ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY, and of course, kepp fighting for a better country.
Me:
"Maria, gracias por contarme su situacion y ayudarme a recordar cuan grande es la bendicion vivir en este pais. Se sin duda que tengo una vida muy bendecida y espero que cada persona tuviera la misma vida que yo disfruto. Agradezco mi Padre Celestial cada dia por la bendicion que yo tengo de sostener a mi familia y la bendicion de tener un trabajo. No creo que merezco una vida tan bendecida porque siento que no he hecho ninguna cosa para merecer la bendicion de vivir en este pais y tener la seguridad que tengo. La razon por la que empece mi blog no fue para quijarme de la situacion economica de este pais ni mi sitacion economica pero empece mi blog porque yo creo que estamos perdiendo nuestra libertad. Los que gobiernan este pais estan dandose mas poder sobre nosotros los ciudadanos. Poder para quitarnos la libertad de escoger lo que hacemos con lo que ganamos. Poder para quitarnos la libertad aun de saber la verdad de lo que esta pasando en este pais. Aun estan luchando para quitarnos la libertda de prensa y la libertad de hablar criticamente del gobierno. Estan intentando cambiar la sistema de nuestra gobierno a comunismo. Si perdimos la libertad en los Estados Unidos no se que pasara a la iglesia ni a la causa de libertad en el mundo. Se por cierto que las fuerzas de satanas estan luchando para quitarnos la libertad porque si sucedan no habra nada que les impide seguir destruyendo la familia y la iglesia. Le digo esto porque quiero aclarar que no me estoy quejando de la situacion economica en que me encuentro porque se que es la libertad que disfruto en este pais que hace posible la verdad de que, si me esfuerzo y trabjo todo lo que puedo, es possible salir adelante en la vida y ser exitoso. Pero aun mas importante, es la libertad que disfrutamos en este pais que nos da el poder para establecer el reino de dios y compartir el evangelio y tomar el mensaje de la libertad de nustras almas al mundo. Creo que la guerra que mepezo en los cielos entre el bien y el mal sigue hoy con el mismo furor y yo quiero luchar por el bien y por la libertad en cada campo de batalla que puedo tanto espiritualmente como temporalmente."
Maria, thank you for telling me about your situation and helping me remember how great a blessing it is to live in this country. I know without a doubt that I have a very blessed life and I wish that every person could have the same life that I enjoy. I thank my Father in Heaven every day for the blessing I have of providing for my family and the blessing of having a job. I do not believe that I deserve such a blessed life because I feel like I have done nothing to deserve the blessing of living in this country and having the security that I do. The reason that I started my blog is because I believe we are loosing our freedom. Those that govern this country are giving themselves more power over us, the citizens. Power to take away our freedom to choose what we do with what we earn, power to take away the freedom even to know the truth about what is going on in this country. They are even fighting to take away the freedom of the press and to criticize the government. They are trying to change the system of government in this country to communism. If we loose freedom in the United States I do not know what will happen to the church or to the cause of freedom around the world. I know for certain that the forces of Satan are fighting to take away our freedom because, if they succeed, there will be nothing standing in there way to continue destroying the family and the church. I tell you this because I want to clarify that I am not complaining about the economic situation in which I find myself because I know that it is the freedom that I enjoy in this country that makes possible the fact that, if I put forth the effort and work as hard as I can, it is possible to get ahead in life and be successful. But, even more importantly, it is the freedom that we enjoy en this country that gives us the power to establish the kingdom of God and share the gospel and take the message of the freedom of our souls to the world. I believe that the war that started in heaven between good and evil continues today with the same fury and I want to fight for good and for freedom and every battlefield that I can both spiritually and temporally.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This conversation that I had with Maria is humbling. It hurts me to know that my friends in Argentina are suffering through the difficult trials that they are. I pray that I may never forget the blessing that it is to live in this country, the richest and most blessed country in the whole world. I also pray that to have the courage to do whatever I can to further the cause of freedom and to lift all of Gods children to the standard of living that I know He feels we deserve. That lifting cannot come through government entitlement programs but through the goodness of our hearts, through charity, which is the pure love of Christ, and charity cannot be mandated, that was Satan's plan.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
The Audacity of Hope - Part One - The Entitlement Culture
Since I commute an hour one way to work I have plenty of time to listen to audiobooks. The most recent book that I finished was "The Audacity of Hope" by none other than our current President. I want to be open to all sides of an argument so I decided it would be a good way to see what he had to say in his book. I think that the definition of audacity from Webster's dictionary sums it up pretty good, "bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints."
It is amazing to go through this book and hear President Obama talk about his political career and hear him say that one of hist most humbling moments in running for his senate seat was to realize that he was the best qualified individual in the state of Illinois to fill the senate seat. This realization came to him before he decided to run not after the people of Illinois had elected him. That statement alone disturbed me because his most humbling moment lacked any trace of humility. His disregard of normal restraints continues as he talks about the conservative movement with disdain. He says the conservative movement started with Reagan and came to it's logical conclusion with Bush. He stated that the religious conservative right had helped fuel the movement but that their influence was waning as well and that their beliefs were out of date.Given that he wrote this book a few years ago when there was so much anit-bush sentiment being spewed by the main stream media it is safe to assume that he thought the majority of the people in the country agreed with this view. If he could only see the country now and see how he would stir up so many in this country to re-invigorate the conservative movement to a level that is not even understood right now.
Another one of the scary things that he talks about in this book was that how the free market principles upheld by the conservative movement had failed and that the only hope, as he saw it, was to modernize the new deal policies of F.D.R.. I mentioned this is scary right, let me explain why. Look back at history and see what the new deal put into place, some of the most fiscally destructive policies that this country has ever seen. Major entitlement programs were put into place that the country even then, and especially now, could not afford. Along with the massive budget deficits that came along with all of these entitlements, it started in America what I refer to as the entitlement culture which I'll explain in a minute.
First however, I should admit that in the past I have used these entitlement programs such as Pell grants, medicaid, subsidized housing and food stamps to help me get through college while supporting a family. I even used a government program to help me get in my house without a down payment. I am sorry for this and if I could go back and do it over I would. My only excuse is that I didn't fully understand how detrimental these entitlements were to our country and to those who use them.
Yes, I just said that they are detrimental to those who use them and by that I mean that it teaches us that we do not necessarily have to be self reliant. If the going gets too hard we can rely on others to help us. There is nothing wrong with this view but you have to be careful to point out two things. When the going gets too hard and we have to rely on others to help us we cannot abandon our own efforts to become self reliant. Hard work and thrift are very important to our souls and when things come too easy it does have a negative effect on us. The second important thing that we need to remember is that those "others" that we rely on should be people or sources of help that are doing it out of charity and the goodness of their own hearts and not doing it by government mandate. This means that in times of trouble we should first and foremost make sure that we are doing the best we can and make sacrifices when needed. For example, I could have made it through on my own had I taken time off to save up more money to get through school. After making sure that we are doing everything that we can we then appeal to our families and churches for help. No one should be forced to be charitable. There is one being who thought it was a good idea to force everyone to do what is right and that being is Lucifer. This means to me that forcing someone to be charitable cannot lead to anything good since the founder of that very idea is the devil himself.
Now to the entitlement culture. Having experienced this myself, I think I can explain it. When someone finds out that they can get something for seemingly nothing it is pretty easy to make the decision to take that something. Once they see how easy it was the first time, they look for more ways to get something for nothing and after a while they seem to think that they deserve all of the benefits they are getting without the effort of paying for them. The effect that this has is that it takes something that used to be a luxury, like going to college, and makes it seem more like all of us are entitled to it. In my case it truly was a luxury to have help paying for our degrees and the babies that were coming into our family as both my wife and I sought our degrees.We justified ourselves in taking the help that other people were forced to pay for because we looked at it more like an investment. We knew that our education would help us contribute to society both through the taxes we would pay later in life and through the good children we would raise. In reality however we could have had the same luxury had we just been more patient and worked hard and saved our money and paid for it ourselves.
Unfortunately, in our society there are leeches. Those who take the benefits the entitlement programs offer with no intention of bettering their situation or trying to contribute themselves to these programs later in life are examples of such leeches. Also, those who fraudulently obtain entitlement benefits are leeches as well. These leeches only add to the speed at which these entitlement programs are bankrupting our nation.
The only way to combat the entitlement culture is to change our views and stop trying to get something for nothing. Are we willing in our lives to do two things? First, work hard and sacrifice and be thrifty and do all that we can to be self reliant. Second, of our own free will and out of the charity of our hearts, reach out to help those of us who struggle or who are less fortunate. If all of us can do this then there will be no need for anyone to use the entitlement programs of the government and all that tax payer money can go to do what is our moral obligation, paying our debts.
It is amazing to go through this book and hear President Obama talk about his political career and hear him say that one of hist most humbling moments in running for his senate seat was to realize that he was the best qualified individual in the state of Illinois to fill the senate seat. This realization came to him before he decided to run not after the people of Illinois had elected him. That statement alone disturbed me because his most humbling moment lacked any trace of humility. His disregard of normal restraints continues as he talks about the conservative movement with disdain. He says the conservative movement started with Reagan and came to it's logical conclusion with Bush. He stated that the religious conservative right had helped fuel the movement but that their influence was waning as well and that their beliefs were out of date.Given that he wrote this book a few years ago when there was so much anit-bush sentiment being spewed by the main stream media it is safe to assume that he thought the majority of the people in the country agreed with this view. If he could only see the country now and see how he would stir up so many in this country to re-invigorate the conservative movement to a level that is not even understood right now.
Another one of the scary things that he talks about in this book was that how the free market principles upheld by the conservative movement had failed and that the only hope, as he saw it, was to modernize the new deal policies of F.D.R.. I mentioned this is scary right, let me explain why. Look back at history and see what the new deal put into place, some of the most fiscally destructive policies that this country has ever seen. Major entitlement programs were put into place that the country even then, and especially now, could not afford. Along with the massive budget deficits that came along with all of these entitlements, it started in America what I refer to as the entitlement culture which I'll explain in a minute.
First however, I should admit that in the past I have used these entitlement programs such as Pell grants, medicaid, subsidized housing and food stamps to help me get through college while supporting a family. I even used a government program to help me get in my house without a down payment. I am sorry for this and if I could go back and do it over I would. My only excuse is that I didn't fully understand how detrimental these entitlements were to our country and to those who use them.
Yes, I just said that they are detrimental to those who use them and by that I mean that it teaches us that we do not necessarily have to be self reliant. If the going gets too hard we can rely on others to help us. There is nothing wrong with this view but you have to be careful to point out two things. When the going gets too hard and we have to rely on others to help us we cannot abandon our own efforts to become self reliant. Hard work and thrift are very important to our souls and when things come too easy it does have a negative effect on us. The second important thing that we need to remember is that those "others" that we rely on should be people or sources of help that are doing it out of charity and the goodness of their own hearts and not doing it by government mandate. This means that in times of trouble we should first and foremost make sure that we are doing the best we can and make sacrifices when needed. For example, I could have made it through on my own had I taken time off to save up more money to get through school. After making sure that we are doing everything that we can we then appeal to our families and churches for help. No one should be forced to be charitable. There is one being who thought it was a good idea to force everyone to do what is right and that being is Lucifer. This means to me that forcing someone to be charitable cannot lead to anything good since the founder of that very idea is the devil himself.
Now to the entitlement culture. Having experienced this myself, I think I can explain it. When someone finds out that they can get something for seemingly nothing it is pretty easy to make the decision to take that something. Once they see how easy it was the first time, they look for more ways to get something for nothing and after a while they seem to think that they deserve all of the benefits they are getting without the effort of paying for them. The effect that this has is that it takes something that used to be a luxury, like going to college, and makes it seem more like all of us are entitled to it. In my case it truly was a luxury to have help paying for our degrees and the babies that were coming into our family as both my wife and I sought our degrees.We justified ourselves in taking the help that other people were forced to pay for because we looked at it more like an investment. We knew that our education would help us contribute to society both through the taxes we would pay later in life and through the good children we would raise. In reality however we could have had the same luxury had we just been more patient and worked hard and saved our money and paid for it ourselves.
Unfortunately, in our society there are leeches. Those who take the benefits the entitlement programs offer with no intention of bettering their situation or trying to contribute themselves to these programs later in life are examples of such leeches. Also, those who fraudulently obtain entitlement benefits are leeches as well. These leeches only add to the speed at which these entitlement programs are bankrupting our nation.
The only way to combat the entitlement culture is to change our views and stop trying to get something for nothing. Are we willing in our lives to do two things? First, work hard and sacrifice and be thrifty and do all that we can to be self reliant. Second, of our own free will and out of the charity of our hearts, reach out to help those of us who struggle or who are less fortunate. If all of us can do this then there will be no need for anyone to use the entitlement programs of the government and all that tax payer money can go to do what is our moral obligation, paying our debts.
I am Actually Going to Volunteer
I have never once in my life volunteered or even cared enough to try and get involved more with any politicians campaign. I have never posted a bumper sticker on my car, because I know they are a pain to get off and partially because I didn't want to draw unwanted attention to myself. Well, maybe I am getting older or something but I can't just sit back and do nothing when things really are reaching a critical stage in this country. Part of the reason that I want to stand up and do something (although I doubt anyone reads this blog) is because I am sick of not really having a choice when it comes to voting. Take the race for the available senate seat in Arizona this year. John McCain is a career politician that will say whatever it takes to keep him in office, even if it means reversing his position every year ("I'm a maverick, no I'm not a maverick"). J.D. Hayworth seemed like a good choice until you start to look at the things that he actually voted for in congress, and the things that he did for personal gain like very questionable infomercials and becoming a lobbyist. It soon became apparent that he would just be more of the same, a self serving politician who will say whatever it takes to get elected.
For a long time I only knew about the two republican candidates for the senate race but once I got so disgusted thinking that the only choice I was going to have was to vote for the lesser of two evils I decided to look and see if there was any other possible choice. That is when I found Jim Deakin. I have read quite a bit about him and I think I have actually found a good choice. Jim Deakin holds very high the constitutional principles that are the only thing that will save this country. He is for the repealing of the 17th amendment which, if repealed, would put the appointing of U.S. senators back into the state government's hands where it belongs. We are not a democracy we are a republic and the only way we can truly be a republic is to have strong states and the 17th amendment stole the power from the states to appoint senators and instead made senators appointed by popular vote.
It is for this reason, and the fact that I agree with all of his policy stances, that I am endorsing Jim Deakin for U.S. senate. I have contacted his campaign and told them that, although I cannot really contribute financially, I want to do whatever I can to help spread the word that we do have a real choice in this republican primary to get a constitutional conservative to take this country down the road to restoring our freedom.
See this video on you tube that is another person explaining in her own words why she supports Jim Deakin and then look into him more closely yourself and see what you think. Don't buy the crap that we should vote for one of the two major candidates because they have a better chance of beating the challenger. Vote for who you think will actually do the job the way it was meant to be done.
For a long time I only knew about the two republican candidates for the senate race but once I got so disgusted thinking that the only choice I was going to have was to vote for the lesser of two evils I decided to look and see if there was any other possible choice. That is when I found Jim Deakin. I have read quite a bit about him and I think I have actually found a good choice. Jim Deakin holds very high the constitutional principles that are the only thing that will save this country. He is for the repealing of the 17th amendment which, if repealed, would put the appointing of U.S. senators back into the state government's hands where it belongs. We are not a democracy we are a republic and the only way we can truly be a republic is to have strong states and the 17th amendment stole the power from the states to appoint senators and instead made senators appointed by popular vote.
It is for this reason, and the fact that I agree with all of his policy stances, that I am endorsing Jim Deakin for U.S. senate. I have contacted his campaign and told them that, although I cannot really contribute financially, I want to do whatever I can to help spread the word that we do have a real choice in this republican primary to get a constitutional conservative to take this country down the road to restoring our freedom.
See this video on you tube that is another person explaining in her own words why she supports Jim Deakin and then look into him more closely yourself and see what you think. Don't buy the crap that we should vote for one of the two major candidates because they have a better chance of beating the challenger. Vote for who you think will actually do the job the way it was meant to be done.
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