united states

"They who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

We have seen the government slowly usurp our rights over the last several decades. I'm sure we can find incidents that would show such usurpation's for every right enumerated in the first 9 Amendments to the Constitution. And, we have been complacent all along, agreeing that those usurpation's are acceptable in exchange for some "benefit" the government has promised.

Now, we have proof that the government is monitoring the activities of ordinary, law-abiding citizens under the premise that "it helps us stop terrorism." And, again, we have many people agreeing that it is an acceptable "trade."

I, for one, do not agree that it is an acceptable trade!

The issue of sacrificing liberty for safety is not a new discussion as the above quote from Benjamin Franklin clearly demonstrates. Yet, here we are, willingly giving up "essential liberty" for a little temporary safety. How soon we forget the events of Boston.

No amount of "sacrificing" our liberties will result in complete safety. Terrorist acts will happen because terrorists will find a way. Just as there will always be crazy people who want to kill a bunch of innocents, there will always be terrorists intent on destroying our way of life. The more we "sacrifice" our liberties, the more those terrorists win.

Let's take the words of Benjamin Franklin to heart and say, "NO MORE."

No more will you ignore my rights as an American citizen.
No more will I stand idly by.

I will say, "NO MORE!"

Another sign of the times ...

I was waiting to pick up my daughter from her part time job. I noticed that the music instruction business had some signs on the door and window. And, I noticed that the furniture that was in the front area was gone as well. So, I got out and took a look at the sign.

The sign said, "We've moved. We now offer in-home instruction. Call ### or go online to xxx to schedule an appointment."

What does that really mean?
There was no forwarding address, so why would it say they've moved?

They are trying to make it clear that they aren't out of business. However, they can no longer afford to pay the expenses of having an office. The lease payments, the utilities and the other costs associated with maintaining a place of business (not cheap with the various California and Federal regulations one must meet) were just too much. So, they will now provide the instruction in your home.

This is a sign of the times. I continue to see businesses closing around where we live. No matter what the economists or the media reports, the truth is, the economy is not recovering. Small businesses are dying and the majority of the workers in this country are employed by these small businesses.

My daughter is one of those workers employed by a small business. And, I know her company is struggling. I worry that she too will soon become one of the unemployed.

We need a change, "real" change!

The following article proposing that voting should be mandatory was forwarded to me in an e-mail last week. I didn't read it right away because I have already dismissed that proposition. However, I finally did read it and realized it was necessary to point out the flaw in the premise behind the whole article.

Making Voting Mandatory

The very first sentence is misleading. It is clearly an attempt to persuade readers who rely on individuals such as the writer of this article to provide them with factual information. Yet, the writer here is intentionally vague.

The assertion made is that "it's very likely NO U.S. president has ever been elected by a majority of American adults." The premise being that ALL Americans are not represented in the makeup of the government because ALL Americans don't vote.

That premise is wrong!

The fact that many in this nation choose to forgo their duty as a citizen and vote does not diminish the results of an election. Those citizens who choose not to vote have abdicated the election, and thereby their representation, to others. And, in America, they have the freedom to make that choice!

Let's not take away yet another freedom!

Note: The majority of elected presidents have been elected by a majority of those who have chosen to vote. You can view the results here.

Update 6/27/2012:

Here's a good response to the article referenced above. The writer echoes my sentiments exactly!

Voter Apathy Isn’t a Crime

Once again, Chuck Norris echoes my sentiments in the article, "Atheists' national holiday?".

The atheists are on the attack this year. And, what are they attacking? Religion and, more specifically, Christianity. Why can't they just say they believe there is "no god" without attacking religion?

It's the same with many who believe in evolution. They can't just say they believe in evolution. They have to attack Christianity. For example, some have taken a Christian symbol and modified it, mocking Christianity.

Christian symbol -->

Darwin symbol -->