I was recently asked, "How do you stomach this stuff?". This was after a comment on the Bill O'Rielly interview with Obama. "This stuff" refers to all of the political and current event stories dealing with our country that we are absolutely flooded with.
We are being fed stuff every day, from everybody who has something they want us to swallow. We have three basic choices; We can eagerly swallow it, we can hold our nose and reluctantly swallow it or we can push it back across the table and refuse to swallow it.
The third option is my answer to the question. I don't swallow it. You have to be vigilant. How can you be vigilant if you don't examine everything that is placed in front of you. We are asked to believe all kinds of garbage by everyone, from the president, congress, media, friends and so on. If you can't discern what is truth and what is agenda-driven fiction, you are going to swallow some bad stuff.
Lies come at you in many forms. Skewed numbers, bad data, flawed studies, twisted words, misinformation and bald-faced lies. You have to be able to see things for what they are. You have to be able to dig into things and find the truth. You have to be able to see past this stuff. If you just swallow it, willingly or unwillingly, you are not merely going with the flow. You are helping to create the current.
The question I pose is this. How can you NOT stomach it? How can you idly sit by and not speak up? If you believe in this country, if you believe in what the founders put together in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, you need to be prepared to prove it. I'm not suggesting you have to be a constitutional scholar or an expert debater, but you need to at least, understand some basic things and be willing to expose lies when you see them.
The premise and the driving theme of this blog is that we have rights and freedoms granted to us and we have to be responsible in the way we live in order to maintain these liberties. There is an insidious ideology that has been creeping and gaining steam for the last 100 years or more called progressivism. It is called by many names including liberalism and statism. We are living in a time when it is no longer creeping, it is standing tall and declaring itself as the only way. It is willing to knock anyone to the ground who disagrees. There have been generations blinded by this. We have two choices, close our eyes or do everything we can to open the eyes of others.
How can I stomach this stuff? Because I don't believe I have a valid option.
Showing posts with label declaration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label declaration. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Bully Pulpit
Theodore Roosevelt coined the term "bully pulpit" to describe the great platform that the White House was for advocating an agenda. His meaning was that he had a national stage on which to speak, unencumbered for the most part. Many presidents have used this platform very effectively to communicate ideas and proposals to the American people. Ronald Reagan did this often, with amazing results in many cases.
Today, word "bully" means something entirely different. It has a completely negative meaning, "harasser of the weak". Bullying is almost universally frowned upon by society. The only people that seem accepting of the practice are themselves, bullies. We have recently seen a tidal wave of backlash against bullying. Government has addressed it on local, state and even federal levels. The medical and psychological professions have joined the cause. Celebrities have spoken out against it. It can do great harm and is rightly being addressed more so than ever.
When I was young, the only recourse one had against a bully was to stand up to them. Generally speaking, if you did that, even if you got your block knocked off, the bullying would stop. The bully was either put in his place or he gained enough respect that someone would stand up to him that he focused his energy on someone else.
The bully pulpit has changed as well. It no longer seems to be a platform to take your case to the people in order to gain their support. The White House is still a platform where that can be accomplished, no doubt. Although it has really been "fundamentally transformed" into something entirely different. It is much more imbued by the current definition. In that sense, our current president is using the bully pulpit to present himself as the bully in chief.
This administration has taken bullying to a new level. It is not an isolated incident. It is not an isolated agency. It is certainly not isolated to the president himself. He has cultivated a culture of bullying that has no equal. From the top down, we are being pushed around. The intent is no different than that of the playground bully in 1974. Power. The only difference is that in 1974, the power could only be used to determine which swing could be used or in what order you could enjoy the slide. In 2013, that power is being used as a form of tyranny, increasingly to tear down our fundamental and constitutionally protected rights as citizens of the United States of America.
The examples are too numerous to include them all. Most are probably yet unknown, new examples are exposed every day. Some of the highlights include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(Obamacare). The number of Americans, including representatives and health care industry experts that are against this monstrosity is overwhelming. That doesn't matter, it was pushed through anyway.
The administrative state that we live in has bullied us for years. It is so out of control that a solution seems completely out of reach at this point. They tell us everything we are allowed to do and how to do it. The cost of enforcement of regulations alone is well over $1 Trillion per year. That doesn't include all of the costs to devise, implement, litigate and staff the people in order to push us around this way. They dictate about toilets, light bulbs, gas, water usage, cars, diapers, cribs, milk, cleaners, medicines, restaurants and a practically endless list of other things.
That is bad enough. Regulatory and legislative bullying have completely changed the way we are allowed to live our lives. In the last few years, though, the bully pulpit has taken on an entirely more sinister feel. The bully in chief and his culture of corruption have taken it upon themselves to get far more tyrannical in their actions. Some examples of this are the current IRS situation, the Associated Press situation, the FOX news situation, and the HHS situation. These, while not at this point resolved, appear on the surface to include broken laws and conspiracies that could reach all the way to the bully himself. If it doesn't reach him in direct involvement, it seems almost certain to me that his influence in all of this is deep and meaningful.
There was a witness in front of the Way & Means committee today named Becky Gerritson. She gave very impassioned testimony about her involvement in the IRS scandal that I think everyone should see. Becky Gerritson She spoke what, I believe and overwhelming number of Americans think. I believe we have a responsibility to do exactly what she is doing, standing up to the bully. This is an entirely different kind of bully than we faced on the playground as children. It will take an entirely different kind of standing up than it took back then.
Our Founding Fathers knew this. We are given so many examples of their thinking. The United States was founded on several noble principles, one of the main ones being the standing up to a bully, King George III. This country has a history of standing up to bullies, and winning! We have no less of a responsibility right now to do just that. Stand up now, or sit down forever. It is your choice.
Today, word "bully" means something entirely different. It has a completely negative meaning, "harasser of the weak". Bullying is almost universally frowned upon by society. The only people that seem accepting of the practice are themselves, bullies. We have recently seen a tidal wave of backlash against bullying. Government has addressed it on local, state and even federal levels. The medical and psychological professions have joined the cause. Celebrities have spoken out against it. It can do great harm and is rightly being addressed more so than ever.
When I was young, the only recourse one had against a bully was to stand up to them. Generally speaking, if you did that, even if you got your block knocked off, the bullying would stop. The bully was either put in his place or he gained enough respect that someone would stand up to him that he focused his energy on someone else.
The bully pulpit has changed as well. It no longer seems to be a platform to take your case to the people in order to gain their support. The White House is still a platform where that can be accomplished, no doubt. Although it has really been "fundamentally transformed" into something entirely different. It is much more imbued by the current definition. In that sense, our current president is using the bully pulpit to present himself as the bully in chief.
This administration has taken bullying to a new level. It is not an isolated incident. It is not an isolated agency. It is certainly not isolated to the president himself. He has cultivated a culture of bullying that has no equal. From the top down, we are being pushed around. The intent is no different than that of the playground bully in 1974. Power. The only difference is that in 1974, the power could only be used to determine which swing could be used or in what order you could enjoy the slide. In 2013, that power is being used as a form of tyranny, increasingly to tear down our fundamental and constitutionally protected rights as citizens of the United States of America.
The examples are too numerous to include them all. Most are probably yet unknown, new examples are exposed every day. Some of the highlights include the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(Obamacare). The number of Americans, including representatives and health care industry experts that are against this monstrosity is overwhelming. That doesn't matter, it was pushed through anyway.
The administrative state that we live in has bullied us for years. It is so out of control that a solution seems completely out of reach at this point. They tell us everything we are allowed to do and how to do it. The cost of enforcement of regulations alone is well over $1 Trillion per year. That doesn't include all of the costs to devise, implement, litigate and staff the people in order to push us around this way. They dictate about toilets, light bulbs, gas, water usage, cars, diapers, cribs, milk, cleaners, medicines, restaurants and a practically endless list of other things.
That is bad enough. Regulatory and legislative bullying have completely changed the way we are allowed to live our lives. In the last few years, though, the bully pulpit has taken on an entirely more sinister feel. The bully in chief and his culture of corruption have taken it upon themselves to get far more tyrannical in their actions. Some examples of this are the current IRS situation, the Associated Press situation, the FOX news situation, and the HHS situation. These, while not at this point resolved, appear on the surface to include broken laws and conspiracies that could reach all the way to the bully himself. If it doesn't reach him in direct involvement, it seems almost certain to me that his influence in all of this is deep and meaningful.
There was a witness in front of the Way & Means committee today named Becky Gerritson. She gave very impassioned testimony about her involvement in the IRS scandal that I think everyone should see. Becky Gerritson She spoke what, I believe and overwhelming number of Americans think. I believe we have a responsibility to do exactly what she is doing, standing up to the bully. This is an entirely different kind of bully than we faced on the playground as children. It will take an entirely different kind of standing up than it took back then.
Our Founding Fathers knew this. We are given so many examples of their thinking. The United States was founded on several noble principles, one of the main ones being the standing up to a bully, King George III. This country has a history of standing up to bullies, and winning! We have no less of a responsibility right now to do just that. Stand up now, or sit down forever. It is your choice.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Fundamental
Fundamental
Those are straight-forward definitions of what the word means. I'd like to look at each definition as it relates to the founding of our country.
This country was formally founded by the Declaration of Independence. A document declaring our natural rights as human beings ,giving the reasons for our desire and right to separate ourselves from the tyrannical rule of King George III of England and finally, the declaration of our country as independent among the nations of the earth. This established the people living in the colonies as the United States of America. This was no small thing, as the last words of the document state:
The constitution is the original document laying out how this country should operate. It was not the first document to govern life in the colonies, but it was the first post-independence document that had authority over all of the states. It was the origin and source that generated our laws. As the basis supporting our existence(our Declaration of Independence) it works to establish the essential structure and function of our government in the way that the founders envisioned. We declared our existence and then said this is how it will work.
It deals with the essential structure and function of our government. Essential, as in, absolutely necessary. If we take away the constitution, we are left with nothing. The meaning of central importance can't describe any better what the constitution means to our country, not only the founding, but the basic survival. No law, agency, politician, position or party even comes close to being as important as the Constitution is to the US.
It is the life-blood of America. It is a written representation of what our founders saw as the characteristics of what a country steeped in liberty should be. It literally mirrors the characteristics of the founders at large. They fought and died for the belief that we, as human beings deserved to live by our God given rights that are described in the Declaration and defined and expounded upon in the Constitution. Not only they, but many more since have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and many have done so to the point of death in defense of it.
When you think of America and apply the word fundamental to it, you are left with these two documents. They are bound to each other. They cannot be separated without taking away part of the other. They function together as the reason and capacity for our existence as a nation. They are the cornerstone of this great United States of America. Without them, we as a nation, are doomed to become but a memory of what once was.
With this in mind, I want you to think back to October 30, 2008, when Barack Obama said "we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America".
Looking back on the last 5 years, there can be little doubt what he meant when he said that. If has kept any campaign promise, it was this one.
The presidential oath of office as spelled out in Article II, Section I, Clause VIII of the Constitution of the United States of America says this:
Any questions?
12: of or relating to essential structure, function, or facts ; also : of or dealing with general principles rather than practical application3: of central importance4: belonging to one's innate or ingrained characteristics : deep-rooted
Those are straight-forward definitions of what the word means. I'd like to look at each definition as it relates to the founding of our country.
This country was formally founded by the Declaration of Independence. A document declaring our natural rights as human beings ,giving the reasons for our desire and right to separate ourselves from the tyrannical rule of King George III of England and finally, the declaration of our country as independent among the nations of the earth. This established the people living in the colonies as the United States of America. This was no small thing, as the last words of the document state:
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.Soon, the realization that the Articles of Confederation were not up to the task of being the supreme law of this newly formed great nation, the leaders met again to draft what would live up to that task. The Constitution of the United States was soon ratified and included the first ten amendments as was declared necessary for the ratification. The Constitution is the fundamental bedrock for the way this nation was supposed to operate. With that, let's take a look at what fundamental means in relation to this document.
The constitution is the original document laying out how this country should operate. It was not the first document to govern life in the colonies, but it was the first post-independence document that had authority over all of the states. It was the origin and source that generated our laws. As the basis supporting our existence(our Declaration of Independence) it works to establish the essential structure and function of our government in the way that the founders envisioned. We declared our existence and then said this is how it will work.
It deals with the essential structure and function of our government. Essential, as in, absolutely necessary. If we take away the constitution, we are left with nothing. The meaning of central importance can't describe any better what the constitution means to our country, not only the founding, but the basic survival. No law, agency, politician, position or party even comes close to being as important as the Constitution is to the US.
It is the life-blood of America. It is a written representation of what our founders saw as the characteristics of what a country steeped in liberty should be. It literally mirrors the characteristics of the founders at large. They fought and died for the belief that we, as human beings deserved to live by our God given rights that are described in the Declaration and defined and expounded upon in the Constitution. Not only they, but many more since have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and many have done so to the point of death in defense of it.
When you think of America and apply the word fundamental to it, you are left with these two documents. They are bound to each other. They cannot be separated without taking away part of the other. They function together as the reason and capacity for our existence as a nation. They are the cornerstone of this great United States of America. Without them, we as a nation, are doomed to become but a memory of what once was.
With this in mind, I want you to think back to October 30, 2008, when Barack Obama said "we are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America".
The presidential oath of office as spelled out in Article II, Section I, Clause VIII of the Constitution of the United States of America says this:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”Clause VI speaks of the president's inability to discharge his duties. As far as I can tell, that would be his only defense of his gross dereliction of duties to uphold and defend the Constitution. In that defense, I would not argue with him at all. He seems supremely in-able.
Any questions?
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