T F Stern's Rantings

Pumpkin Likes the DVD Player

2012-01-25T23:01:00.000-06:00

Pumpkin has become an “inside” kitty and learned to enjoysome of the modern conveniences. Indoorhockey with walnuts or balled up pieces of scrap paper is high on her list asshe scrambles to keep traction on the hard wood floors, sliding hard intofurniture or walls is half the fun; but watching the DVD player seems to havecaptured her attention of late. She canbe on the other side of the room and hear the cassette door open, themechanized sound as the motor pushes the tray outward draws her like a magnet.

She’ll sit patiently studying the lights on the controlpanel; but I don’t think she knows what it says on the display, only that when it’sglowing interesting things happen. Assoon as we hit the remote button the tray is pulled back into the body of theDVD player and Pumpkin, being a Southpaw, jabs ever so quickly slapping thetray once or twice as it retreats to safety. Pumpkin will wait patiently for another chance; sometimes we offer it toher immediately while other times lulling her into thinking all is safe. She’s taken up surveillance for as long as anhour, looking away now and then as if to fool the DVD player into believing itno longer matters.

While You Were Fleeing…

2012-01-18T09:59:00.000-06:00

Sandra Bullock played a woman in love with a stranger whohappened to fall into the path of an oncoming train in the movie, While youwere sleeping. Things got out of handwhen she told the nurse at the hospital she was his fiancé and the story tookoff from there. Eventually she had tofess up for her actions; but it all worked out and she lived happily everafter.

Closer to home, a young man was arrested here inHouston and charged with Felony Murder, a peculiar offense which coversunintentional deaths which are the result of entering into criminalbehavior. The young man “allegedly wasinvolved in the felony of burglary” and had admitted to having been caught redhanded prior to his fleeing the scene and leaving his fellow burglary suspectbehind. His partner in crime was shot bya police officer while wrestling for the officer’s gun according to the officialreport.

“Ed Chernoff, Smading’s attorney, called thecharge unfair.

“A cop, rather than chase after some kids, decidedto start shooting,” Chernoff said. “There was no need to start shooting.”

Legal scholars said felony murder is unusual andcan be invoked in a number of situations.

“You see them in textbooks and occasionally in newsstories, but they’re rare by comparison to your average homicide, obviously,”said University of Houston law professorAdam Gershowitz. “Felony murder is controversial anyway, and this is holdingsomeone criminally liable for an unintentional murder of their friend, whilethey’re away from the scene.”

If you follow that line of thought then criminals aren’t responsible for badthings that happen when their plans go sour. The lazy cop just started blasting away, too lazy to chase some kid onfoot; it’s all the cops fault. Theburglary suspects only wanted to break in, steal some stuff and leave; theynever intended for anyone to see them, scream out for help, call the cops andthey certainly didn’t plan on getting shot.

You read about things like this all the time; a robber goes into the liquorstore to grab some quick money and “accidentally” shoots the owner of thestore. “It wasn’t my fault, he grabbedfor my gun and it just went off”. Anauto thief grabs an SUV and takes off, unaware there’s a baby in the back seat,leaves the child abandoned in the cold night air and wonders why he’s beingarrested for kidnapping. This happensall the time.

Geoffery Corn, a professor of law at South Texas College of Law summedit up best:

“A reasonable person would foresee that the conduct you engaged in couldlead to the death of someone - a cop, a home-owner or maybe even yourco-felon,” Corn said. “Felony plus death equals murder.”

In spite of what you may have been led to believe, we are responsible forour actions, I was about to say “even if you’re fleeing the scene of a crime”;however, a better choice of words would be, “especially while you’re fleeingthe scene of a crime. When you start aball in motion what ever it runs over or into belongs to you.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Out of an abundance of caution

2011-12-31T10:51:00.002-06:00

Last week Enfamil pulled all their products off the shelvescoast to coast out of an abundance of caution after four babies died from Cronobacter bacteria; itMUST have been in the baby formula and the news media ran with the story. The FDA later made the statement, “thebacteria that are found naturally in the environment and in plants such aswheat and rice”.

“The FDA tested factory sealed containers of powdered infantformula and nursery water with the same lot numbers as the opened containerscollected from Missouriand no Cronobacter bacteria were found.”

No harm, better to be safe than sorry; and besides, Enfamilhas made a fortune selling products to the pubic; it’s their duty to absorbsuch losses.

The latest victim in the “let’s scare the public half todeath” and pull all their products out of grocery stores is lettuce. California pulled all Arizona Lettuce off the shelves because a field NEXT to aplace that grows lettuce tested positive for salmonella.

“None of the lettuce in the markets has tested positive forsalmonella but the grower alerted retailers of the test results and sought a withdrawalof the product “out of an abundance of caution.”’

I think this all has something to do with Islamic terroristnetworks trying to recruit illegal Mexican labor and George Soros’s desire tobe World Emperor. If you’ve noticed, allthese products require either paper or plastic bags to transport home; could bea Green Movement uprising, never can be too sure about folks who watch WhaleWars on television.

“Out of an abundance of caution”, if translated into termswe all understand means, “Our society has become so litigious that if we don’tdo something drastic to show the world we did Everything humanly possible thenwe’ll be seen as heartless greedy capitalists who don’t care what happens sowe’d rather go bankrupt and throw perfectly good inventory down the toilet andminimize our losses if and when this ever goes to court”.

There may be a sinister plot to destroy American consumergoods one crisis after another until we all start eating Soylent Green, the daily nourishmentbar made from our “dearly departed”. Is the purpose of collapsing the freemarket so we can usher in some form of state issued product like Soylent Greento take the place of dangerous privately produced or manufactured goods? Never let it be said the government hasn’tshown an abundance of caution; it’s taken years to destroy our free marketsystem one brick at a time.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

The Aromas of Christmas

2011-12-23T15:38:00.001-06:00

Christmas time is when I’m prone to catching colds, thisyear being no different. My work takesme out in the elements and this past week we’ve had our share of damp and soggyair; not complaining, after this year of drought we needed the rain. Monday the symptoms started to appear so wetook steps to minimize the impact; lots of vitamin C, extra Zinc and Lucy’smagic box of essential oils. I don’tclaim to know the names of these mysterious fluids, only that she applies someto the soles of my feet and around the base of my neck and instantly mybreathing becomes more efficient. Remindme to avoid trips to Salem;last I heard they burned witches for this sort of thing.

“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble…”

Lucy has a fancy diffuser machine for these same oils, afuturistic oblong thing which casts a pale blue light while operating. Small amounts of mist escape from the openingspreading a most enjoyable fragrance throughout the house. The properties of oils which make up the mistare supposed to kill viruses and germs. The best part of having the diffuser going may be how it makes the air smelllike crushed Cedar or Juniper tree needles; pretty neat since our Christmas treecomes in a box for easy storage and contains no aroma of its own.

This evening Lucy will be in the kitchen with ourgranddaughter helping bake the last batch of gingerbread cookies, a familyrecipe that at one time was kept under lock and key. Some folks dream of waking up to a brand newcar in the driveway, a huge red ribbon wrapped around it on Christmas morning;at least that’s what television commercials would have us believe. There’s nothing wrong with getting a new car,bicycle or even a genuine Red Rider BB Gun; but a tin filled with home madegingerbread cookies from this recipe is on top of my list. I could handle some Dark chocolate, maybesome Maple syrup candy to melt in my mouth and then, as I breathe out, carefullylet the vapors circulate in the olfactory caverns for a second chance to enjoythe subtleties created by that confectionary delight. These varied aromas make Christmas a specialtime; and me with a cold, go figure.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Canons and Cloning

2011-12-09T08:27:00.001-06:00

The human soul responds to certain musical tones whenarranged properly. Shepherds watchingtheir flocks by night were treated to heavenly inspired messages inviting themto visit the Christ Child in a manger and we’ve marked this advent with musicdown through the ages.

Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D major has always touched myspirit and it has been transformed in many way, even been called the ChristmasCanon. This one short piece ofperfection may well be the master key that opens a gate in heaven; aligns theangels row upon row to greet those who’ve come this far past the sentinels whostand guard.

“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent,virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow theadmonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have enduredmany things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anythingvirtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after thesethings.” 13th Article of Faith

Robert Tiso is a master at plying the glass harp and neededto clone himself in order to perform this version of the Canonin D major. May the musicfind a place in your soul this day and find you at the gates of heaven one day.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

The Gift of Life

2011-12-05T10:02:00.001-06:00

It’s Christmas time and we go about looking for gifts,enjoying store front windows filled with items of interest and trimming thetree to create a pleasant atmosphere in our homes. My wife and I attended a simple Nativity re-enactment this past Saturday, Journey Through Bethlehem, one which required an hour’s drive to the country; but set the tone we wanted as we approach Christmas.

Yesterday the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints presentedits annual Christmas Devotional. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Councilor in theFirst Presidency of the Church shared his thoughts as he reminded us, “Christmas is about Christ”. He related a story fromwhen he was a young boy enjoying magical visions created by a candle he’d heldin his hand as the energy from it danced behind a curtain in the frontwindow. The magic of that moment turnedto horror as the curtains caught on fire. He wondered if he’d destroyed Christmas as his parents pulled theburning fabric from the window and put it out.

Before President Uchtdorf could finish his story my mindimmediately knew where it was going; the young boy holding the magic of theflame as it danced before him made my stomach tighten. He was describing my own youth, a boy sittingat the dinner table watching a candle flicker while his mother took dishes intothe kitchen after our evening meal.

I’d been entranced by the flame as it beckoned furtherattention. Passing my finger through itpermitted a line of carbon to form, a line which rubbed off easily and didn’thurt. It would be neat to leave similartrails on my paper napkin; dragging it carefully through the flame.

In only a moment the napkin flashed into a ball of flamestartling my ability to control its decent as it fell from my hand and landingon the table. I should explain; myfather was a furniture salesman and our dinner table was a fine Cherry woodpiece polished to near perfection. Inonly a moment the flames from the napkin ignited the gloss finish as a wave ofblue flames pushed from one end of the table to the other quickly and yet; atthe same time, in stop action moments stacked one against the other, a neverending nightmarish reality.

Mom ran from the kitchen and put out the flames and if anywords were said I don’t remember them. Myfeelings of guilt and horror required compassion rather than scolding as shegathered me in her arms. I don’t recallever hearing my father scold me; but I know the pain it must have caused,destroying a piece of furniture was secondary to nearly burning down thehouse. It amazes me to this day Isurvived the moment, that he let me live.

Along the way to adulthood I’ve tested my folk’s ability tokeep me alive; and to my amazement they still are pleased to call me Son, gofigure. How does this tie in withChristmas? Have you always been thisslow?

Our Father in Heaven has given us His Only Begotten Son,Jesus Christ. He is our Savior andmediator with the Father. He gave uslife in this mortality and beyond that, eternal life. He is easy to forgive our frailties andremembers them no more.

“I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has createdyou from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending youbreath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and evensupporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him withall your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” Mosiah 2:21

This Christmas as we search for gifts, pleasing packageswith items that will bring a smile or a hug, let us not forget the Lord; Hisonly requirement is a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Merry Christmas.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Wisconsin Third World Mentality Recall

2011-11-29T08:43:00.001-06:00

Wisconsin voters appear tobe headed for yet another round of recall elections; Governor Walker beingtargeted by the United Wisconsin coalition according to an AP article. The opportunity to alter Wisconsin’sbalance of power is in play following last summer’s recall election losses of 2 Republican Senators, considering 4 moreRepublican Senators have been targeted for recall.

“The recall drive was motivated by anger over Walker’s proposaleffectively ending collective bargaining rights for most public workers. Thelaw passed in March despite massive protests and the fleeing of all 14Democratic state senators to Illinoisfor three weeks.”

The laws governing Wisconsin recall elections arefairly simple; if you don’t like the way things are going, get a petitionsigned by enough angry voters, hold an election and see what happens. The targeted official need not have committedany wrong doing or crime; but a recall petition drive can be instituted anytime after the first year in office.

Getting away from the topic of recall elections for only amoment; there was a movie not too long ago, Jurassic Park,which came to mind. The main characterswere sitting around a conference table considering how much money could be madeoff a theme park modeled around dinosaurs.

Dr. Ian Malcolm, mathematician and chaos theorist played byJeff Goldblum, pointed out his concern regarding work which had enabledscientists to genetically recreate dinosaurs from DNA samples extracted frommosquitoes trapped in amber.

“Don’t you see the danger…inherent in what you’re doing here? Genetic power isthe most awesome force the planets’ ever seen; but you wield it like a kidthat’s found his dad’s gun. Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether ofnot they could; they didn’t stop to think if they should.”

Election cycles are set up to enable citizens to voice theiropinions and desires in an orderly manner. Occasionally a person of dubious character gets elected (had to stoptyping for a moment to get something out of my throat), someone who performs somiserably or conducts business in such a way as to stand out from the ordinarycriminal element who gets elected, enough to be an embarrassment tosociety. Is this where we stand upand say, “Throw them all out”? Never theless, election cycles are intended to be carried out in an orderly manner.

Targeting elected officials for recall based on partisanpolitics implies a lack of faith in the system of government we dependupon. If you think about it, targetingindividuals for recall isn’t much different than the way third world countriesget rid of the opposition. Okay, maybethey aren’t going to throw Governor Walker in a shallow pit, shoot him full ofholes and cover the body with a new fruit orchard; but the result is the same,getting rid of the opposition any way you can.

The right of the people to have a representative form ofgovernment is dear to the hearts of most Americans. As election time rolls near many of usimmerse ourselves in the issues, contestants and possible ramifications of ourcollective choices. If it becomesnecessary to plan for recall elections as a way of life; isn’t that injectingchaos into the election process; a means whereby malcontents can interrupt thenatural process of government?

The folks in Wisconsin are so preoccupied with whether of not they could force a recall; they didn’tstop to think if they should, (altering the movie line to fit the script). Wisconsinvoters should be ashamed for having been duped; this sort of political powerplay reduces the election process to that of a third world country.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Thanksgiving kicks off the Christmas Season

2011-11-24T09:48:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving begins the Christmas Season, at least it hasbeen that way ever since I can recall. Afterdiner my folks would have us write our Wish Lists for Santa. We’d spend the afternoon dreaming of LincolnLogs, Erector Sets, shiny new bicycles, Mr. Potato Head, telescopes, baseballgloves as sugar plums danced in our heads.

That night before going off to bed these Wish Lists would beplaced ceremoniously on a plate in the center of the dining room table alongwith some cookies and a glass of milk; might have been a cold bottle of Coke,memory could be a bit fuzzy. We weretold Santa would stop by, read the lists and the magic in his mittens wouldincinerate the lists leaving only ashes on the plate; hard evidence that he’dmade his rounds.

In the morning we’d run to the dining room, smiles racingacross our faces as we observed a small pile of ashes along with a slight burnmark on the china; Yes, the big guy made it!

My father worked as a furniture salesman at Foley’sDepartment Store when we moved to Houston. Each year Foley’s sponsored theThanksgiving’s Day Parade and it was fun to get up early to watch thefestivities. Later in the evening, afterhaving enjoyed a meal fit for kings, we’d drive back downtown for a chance togaze at the opening of the store windows where Foley’s had kids with theirparents lined up around the block.

As a young police officer getting up at five in the morningand reporting for six o’clock roll call to work the parade wasn’t as muchfun. You didn’t want to be late; callingin sick was not an option unless you were wearing a toe tag. The parade didn’t start for hours; but likethe Army, hurry up and wait was standard protocol.

The first few years I was assigned crowd control at variousintersections along the parade route. Later, when I was in Point Control and rode the old three wheeler motorcycle I escorted Santa’s float at the end of the parade.

I’ve gotten older and no longer put my Wish List on thetable for Santa to read; anxiously waking up the next morning to look for theburnt remains on the plate. Foley’s gotbought out by the May Company and goes under the name, Macy’s now; they nolonger have a special evening dedicated for children to catch a first glimpseof their Christmas windows on Thanksgiving night. I’ve long since retired from the policedepartment and no longer have to get up at five, throw on my uniform and raceto make six o’clock roll call just so I can stand around waiting for the paradeto start.

In a little while the parade will be televised and I canenjoy watching it from the comfort of my sofa. Marching bands with neatly formed ranks of high school students willfill the air with music they’ve been practicing all month, a chance to shine inthe morning sun as their director prays for yet another miracle.

Helium filled balloon characters will dance along Main Street, heldin place by scores of Boy Scouts or other volunteers from the community. Clowns and merry makers will serpentine alongthe parade route as young boys and girls sit along the curb hoping to catch apeek at the main event; Santa waving and smiling back, the Christmas Season ishere.

Enjoying the parade and all the festivities on ThanksgivingDay brings lots of memories to mind; but let’s not forget the deeper meaning ofthis celebration, gratitude for all the blessings the Lord has provided. Jesus is the reason for the season; hold thatthought as we prepare to celebrate His birth.

“For all things are for yoursakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redoundto the glory of God.” 2 Cor 4:15

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Prove it!

2011-11-21T09:29:00.001-06:00

Truth in advertising gets more interesting everydayaccording to an article on the Fox News website. Take for instance a recent edict by theEuropean Union which goes into force next month; Bottle water manufacturers sayingtheir product rehydrates could result in jail time.

“Bottled water manufacturers will not be allowed tomake the claim that water can prevent dehydration, when a new law goes intoeffect in the UKnext month.

The edict, the Daily Telegraph reports, follows athree-year investigation. European Union officials now conclude there is noevidence to prove the previously undisputed fact.”

This imposed insanity would be laughable, a joke if it weren’t soserious. If a similar burden of “proof”is required across the board the EU could alter other aspects ofexpression. We’ve gone from accepting “alikelihood of actuality” and now require proof beyond a reasonable doubt;looking for certainty in an uncertain world.

If the local pastor preaching from the pulpit were tasked with proving thedoctrines of religion, what then? “Jesusis the Christ”, the EU will require proof; but religion requires faith, notproof. Haul that fellow off to jail for makingstatements he can’t prove.

Some might say, “This could never happen.” Think again, how else could the Gospel be considered Hate Speech? Those who speak out against abominations ofimmorality are threatened with criminal charges by miscreants who fall back ontheir “right” to behave any way they please; then go beyond that and make it acrime for anyone to ridicule their lifestyle choices.

Closer to home, you might recall the Canadian anti-gay activist who was found guilty ofhate speech because he believes that homosexuals are “sodomites” who spreadfilth and disease. “In 2005, theSaskatchewan Human Rights Commission ordered him to pay a $17,500 fine and stoppassing out his leaflets after four complainants said they were offended.”

“In matters of free speech, Canada and the United States draw the line in verydifferent places. The U.S.First Amendment is so strong that it guarantees the right of the KKK andneo-Nazis to march through the streets. Canada is far more squeamish – “apleasantly authoritarian state,” as Alan Borovoy, the former head of theCanadian Civil Liberties Association, once put it.”

Isn’t that special, I love the way totalitarian rule got painted as “apleasantly authoritarian state”; the only thing missing might be “Disney-esk”birds chirping under an azure sky filled with soft puffy clouds. Instead of jack booted brown shirts theirgoon squads are dressed in Martha Stuart color coordinated ensembles.

The evening weather report could be fun too, “There’s a cold front moving inlater and might bring rain. Hazardousdriving conditions which used to be caused by wet roads can no longer beincluded in our forecast; because, as we all know, rain can’t be proven tocause wet roads.” I can see aSaturday Night Live skit in there somewhere.

One thing is an indisputable fact; the EU has some of the dumbestbureaucrats on the planet, which can be proven. Their total financial collapse might not be such a bad thing after all;give that area of the world a chance to start over, this time let common sensehave a chair at the table.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Gun Rights Paradigm

2011-11-17T11:44:00.001-06:00

Our constitution provides limits on government in order toprotect every individual’s God given inalienable rights. The right to defend your life, those aroundyou and your property existed long before the establishment of government andis often referred to as a “natural right”; perhaps to assuage the smallpercentage of folks who would rather avoid involving our Maker’s hand in things.

It has taken nearly two hundred years for our Supreme Courtto validate the 2^nd Amendment and clarify our founder’s intentions;that Individuals have the right to own and bear arms; that this right was notsingularly for those serving as militia members. At one time there was a short explanation of the SupremeCourt’s District of Columbiav. Heller ruling at FindLaw dot com which covered the essentials, which is quoted here; but not linked with aspecific URL.

“Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2008decision in District of Columbia v. Heller, the courts had yet todefinitively state what right the Second Amendment protected. The opposingtheories, perhaps oversimplified, were (1) an “individual rights” approach,whereby the Amendment protected individuals’ rights to firearm ownership,possession, and transportation; and (2) a “states’ rights” approach, underwhich the Amendment only protected the right to keep and bear arms inconnection with organized state militia units. Moreover, it was generallybelieved that the Amendment was only a bar to federal action, not to state or municipalrestraints.

However, the Supreme Court has now definitively held that the Second Amendmentprotects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected with service ina militia, and to use that weapon for traditionally lawful purposes, such asself-defense within the home. Moreover, this right applies not just to thefederal government, but to states and municipalities as well.”

Not wishing to appear obtuse; but where in the 2^ndAmendment does it say an individual’s God given right to keep and bear Arms islimited to his/her home? I’ll save you the trouble, it doesn’t. Government is limited; an individuals right to keep and bear arms “shall not beinfringed”, no different than an individual’s right to free speech.

This morning there’s an AP article which appeared on the FoxNews website, House Approves Concealed Firearm Permit Bill .

“A state permit to carry a concealed firearm would be validin almost every state in the country under legislation the House passedWednesday.”

A majority of folks in Congress are attempting to move inthe right direction. Those who voiced opinions against this legislation lackfaith in the citizenry which placed them in office and the individuals who are America; perhaps lacking faith in the veryfoundations upon which Americawas built. There was a sentence in thearticle which brought me back to the keyboard to write today’s article.

“Under the House legislation, people with a concealed carrypermit in one state could carry a concealed weapon in every other state thatgives people the right to carry concealed weapons.”

Maybe I should highlight the part which jumped out at me, “…everyother state that gives people the right to carry concealed weapons”. States do not give rights, God givesrights. States hand out entitlements,permission, grants and many other things; but their powers are limited and theycan only obstruct or usurp individual’s God given rights. If you gain no other information this day,understanding this one principle of government is what separates America fromall others. Our founders recognized Godas the Author of Liberty and the only Being capable ofbestowing rights.

You and I have the right and the responsibility to properlydefend our lives and property by whatever means is prudent and necessary, toinclude deadly force. The right to ownand bear arms was defined and recorded in the Bill of Rights and cannot betaken away except under specific judicial action as pertain to being of soundmind or having been convicted of a felony rendering that individual unfit;regardless of which State you happen to find yourself.

In all likelihood the issue of being able to use one State’sconcealed handgun permit in other States is a moot point; the left leaning Senate hasnot addressed the issue and even if such a bill were to pass it would requireObama’s signature to become law. Obamahas in recent days pressured members of the Senate to ratify the U.N. Small Arms Treaty which would, ineffect, do away with the 2^nd Amendment.

Do the elections in 2012 make a difference? Mind you, the person we elect to the OvalOffice gets to pick vacancies on the Supreme Court, sign into law pieces oflegislation or veto that legislation; all of which affect each and everyindividual.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Habla English?

2011-11-10T14:18:00.001-06:00

Last week at church was Stake Conference for our area; various Wardsgetting together to hear our local Priesthood leadership speak. There were translators on hand to accommodateSpanish speaking members in attendance which meant audio/visual requirementswould have to accommodate the streaming of Spanish into television sets andhead phones in rooms set up for them.

I was recently called as an assistant Stake Clerk/ITspecialist; in other words, getting cables and audio/visual equipment setup for presentations; satellite transmission, internet or other similarevents. The equipment room has allmanner of fancy gizmos with cables running in and out, here and there andeverywhere; how unfortunate, looks similar to the way my stereo, cable televisionand DVD are wired. If you listen closelyyou might hear an old Beatles’ tune, Helter-Skelter, playing amidst thechaos.

Several of us were hooking up cables, checking audio signalsand making sure the camera transmission was working prior to the actualconference. I happen to mention how itwas probably a good thing I wasn’t a member of the Stake Presidency as I wouldbe putting pressure on the various Bishops to have Spanish speaking memberslearn English. My remark must havelanded on a raw nerve; there was a cold silence where some kind of conversationnormally would have happened.

During the week I was thinking about that conversation, theone which never came about. I challenged myself to figure out why my suggestiongarnered such a negative reaction. Thelanguage in the United States is English and while we haveimmigrants from nearly every nation on the planet; English is the language usedby the vast majority. English is alsothe “preferred language”, the language which enables folks to climb out of thedepths of poverty and achieve substantial rewards in most areas of oursociety.

If I were planning to live in a foreign country it would beimportant for me to learn the language of that country; French if I wereplanning to move to France, German for Germany and so on. Those who wish to be assimilated into anysociety must first learn the language of that society; either that or acceptthe fact they will forever be relegated as second class members, being deniedfull status and privileges. Theassumption on my part is these folks wish to eventually be assimilated, becomeequal partakers in all aspects of our society. If this is not the case then why bother leaving their country of origin?

As a church it would seem a natural extension of leadershipto point this aspect of assimilation to those attending meetings. How difficult would it be to have Bishopsinvite Spanish speaking members to attend on-going English as a second languageclasses? We certainly have talentedpeople who could be called as instructors, folks who would jump at a chance toimprove the lives of fellow church members. Individuals who learned to speak English would make themselves eligiblefor upward mobility within the natural framework of our society and could onlybenefit from having made such an effort.

There is no intent to ridicule individuals who speak onlySpanish or the culture from which he/she came. The recommendation is to have these individuals adjust to the societywhich they now find themselves in rather than remain dependent as a result oftheir not understanding our language. Upuntil now I’ve directed my remarks mostly toward Spanish speaking individuals;but the same holds true regardless of one’s primary home language. Those who are easily offended will continueto be easily offended; not much I can do other than accept the laws which govern percentages.

Perhaps my communication and diplomacy skills could useimprovement; being direct and to the point is not always the best course ofaction. In any event, it would be betterfor my brothers and sisters who are imprisoned, not by cell walls; but theirinability to be completely assimilated into our predominantly English speaking society,the society of a nation blessed beyond measure by the Lord for any and all whowish to climb as far and as high as is individually possible. Learn to speak and understand English andwatch as your efforts are rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Peter Pan’s Green Cake was Poisoned

2011-10-21T11:09:00.001-05:00

I remember watching the movie Peter Pan as a young boy andfeeling physically ill at the thought of Peter eating the poisoned green cakewhich had been placed where the Lost Boys would find it. The shape of the green cake has changed overthe years; now it’s disguised as green energy. The poison introduced in Americahas been carefully manipulated; the hoax of man made global warming and thenecessary redistribution of wealth to save our planet through socialism.

You might recall a poisonous statement made by RobertMcChesney, influential adviser to the Obama administration:

“There is no real answer but to remove brick by brick thecapitalist system itself, rebuilding the entire society on socialistprinciples”

Watching tax dollars being thrown away is a bitdisconcerting; is it due to incompetence of the Obama administration or is suchwasteful spending attached to something more sinister and corrupt?

Not too long ago we learned of the Obama administration fullcourt press to throw money at Solyndra, an unstable green energy company; theBush administration had turned down the loan previously. It turns out Solyndra wasn’t the onlyscandalous loan provided under Obama; this morning Fox News reported about over half a Billion dollar loan to an electric car manufacturing company; in Finland.

“The Department of Energy is standing by a $529 million loanguarantee to an electric car company that is outsourcing production to Finland.”

{…}

“The ABC News report noted the political connections enjoyedby Fisker and another company, Tesla Motors, which together received about $1billion in loans. Fisker reportedly is backed by a firm that counts ex-VicePresident Al Gore among its partners. The article said just 40 of Fisker'sKarma cars have been produced so far, and that Tesla is consistently losingmoney.”

Fancy that, Al Gore profiting from tax payers in a greenenergy deal. I read an article in the New York Times by Joe Nocera whichtried to justify wasteful spending of taxpayer money for green projects. The New York Times was once regarded assomething other than a mouthpiece for the progressive agenda; but most recentlythey seem to be nothing more than useful idiots or worse.

“…if we could just stop playing gotcha for a second, wemight realize that federal loan programs — especially loans for innovativeenergy technologies — virtually require the government to take risks theprivate sector won’t take.”

Why would American taxpayers risk hard earned tax money onquestionable investments; aren’t we depending on those in charge of these fundsto carefully discharge their duties? Ikeep forgetting the reality of public office; tax payers and their money areendless in the eyes of government bureaucrats and politicians; Fannie Mae,Tarp, Cash for Clunkers and the list goes on and on.
.

An article by Holman W.Jenkins, Jr. which appeared in the Wall Street Journal countered the idea thatgovernment money wasted on Solyndra was simply an investment in developingenergy technology which the private sector would not venture into.

“This illustrates what might be called the macro Solyndrapolicy failure. A poor commercial risk is a poor commercial risk, whetherprivate or government investors take it.”

{…}

“But, of course, the calculation behind Solyndra was political, notfinancial. Factories were wanted. Factories suggest jobs. Factories createphoto-ops. Oh well. Solar subsidies have been part of the federal panoply sinceCarter, and even Reagan tried only to trim them, not eliminate them. The secondBush amped them up bigtime as a way to suggest that his only approach toproblems in the Middle East wasn't to send inthe troops.

The Obama contribution hardly amounts to morethan a banal urge to take whatever government does and do more of it, as if anychance to expand the role of bureaucrats is too good to miss. In one way,however, his Solyndra venture does fit nicely into today's megatrend, which,from here to Athens,consists of embarrassingly poor financial management.”

There you have it; the Obama administration lined their own pockets and thepockets of political allies through the use of bogus and manipulated data whichthey have proclaimed to be the result of man made global warming. The promise of green energy, regardless ofits practicality has been used to squander billions of dollars, not so much oninnovation and new technology; but on long shot ventures which reasonedinvestors won’t touch. The taxpayers arebeing played for suckers while at the same time our free market system is beingdismantled brick by brick.

Up until now I’d heard detractors of Obama compare him to many unsavorycharacters; but until today it never occurred to me how similar he and hisadministration are to Captain Hook and the pirates of Never Never Land. The magic of America,the free market system, has taken in the poison; isn’t it time for those who stillbelieve in Americato begin clapping in order to save her?

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Pledges, Oaths and Testimonies

2011-10-17T14:12:00.001-05:00

Several years ago there was a movie with Steve Martin andJohn Candy, Plains, Trains and Automobiles; but that has nothing to dowith my title choice for today’s article, Pledges, Oaths and Testimonies. You’ll have to forgive me; my wordassociation test results given to the police psychiatrist must have beensimilarly amusing.

According to a story listed on the Blaze out of McAllen Texas:

“Students in a Texaspublic high school were made to stand up and recite the Mexican national anthemand Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment, but theschool district maintains there was nothing wrong with the lesson.”

Things have changed a bit since I took Spanish in highschool. Back in my day we sang ChristmasCarols “en Espanol” and recited how to order spaghetti while at thebibliotheca; it’s been a long time so the recitation might be off a bit. In today’s public school environment there’sno way students would be singing Christmas Carols; but what’s this nonsenseabout the Mexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance?

“School district spokesman Mark May defended thepresentations, saying it’s a state requirement for upper-level language classesto teach about foreign culture.”

Let’s say it was a poor choice on the part of the teacherand give her the benefit of the doubt; it might be better for students thaneating spaghetti in the library with the chance of getting tomato sauce on allthose books intended to indoctrinate our children with progressiveleanings. I don’t believe that any morethan you do; but I’m still willing to give it the benefit of doubt.

Back in the late 70’s I thought about taking Kung Fu andbegan looking at various schools in the area. Victor Chang’s name came up as one of the better instructors so I wentover one day to observe.

I was asked to quietly sit on a bench during class. Each student upon entering the room bowedreverently which caught my attention. There was a recess in the wall which, given my position, kept me fromseeing what was within that recess; but clearly each student would bow in frontof it. In my mind there was an immediate“red flag”; I’m a good Christian and there’s no way I was going to bow beforeBuddha or any other pagan image.

After the class was completed I mentioned my concerns toVictor in his office. He broke out inlaughter as he explained, “There no idol there, student miss target and kickwall, make hole. Students showingrespect for class and teacher.”

There’s a lesson in there somewhere, something about notjumping to conclusions. I wasn’t verygood at Kung Fu; but that’s a “whole other story” as we say here in Texas.

Several years ago I flew out to see my folks and attended mydad’s Presbyterian church so we could enjoy the morning together. During the service the congregation was askedto stand and recite the Nicene Creed. Out of respect for my dad I stood next to him; but remained silent as Ifound the creed to be in conflict with my beliefs as found in the Articles of Faith .

The words we speak are important, what we pledge allegianceto, what we hold sacred and what we will defend, even until death. If we raise our arm to the square we aretaking a solemn oath, one which requires more than lip service. Maybe that’swhat grabbed my attention to a high school class being asked to recite theMexican national anthem and Mexican pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanishclass assignment; it’s not the same as reciting a poem or any other so calledcultural experience.

I mention this, picturing in my mind every public servantfrom a local police officer on the day he/she receives their badge with an oathto protect, serve, enforce the laws and defend the Constitution all the way upto the President of the United States of America as the Oath of Office isadministered, an oath to uphold the Constitution. When we raise our arm to the square it is apromise to our fellow citizens that our words are true as well as a covenantwith God; there is never a time when Pledges, Oaths and Testimonies are to betreated lightly.

Captive Audience

2011-10-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

A woman’s car was having trouble on a major roadway in Houston, allegedly, so itwas reported she pulled off to the side of the road; I’ll get to “allegedly”later on. An officer of the law issuedher a ticket for “driving on the shoulder and decided to arresther”; sounds a little over the top for a minor traffic violation; but havingdealt with the public often times things “escalate”.

“To make matters worse, Boyd claims in a lawsuit that thehandcuffs were put on her wrists painfully tight and that she was forced tolisten to conservative broadcaster Rush Limbaugh “make derogatory comments about black people” all the way to thejail. Boyd is African-American.”

According to the article written by Mike Tolson in the Houston Chronicle, she’s suing everyoneinvolved.

Some folks, upon reading the article may have becomeindignant after seeing only half the information regarding this incident; therewas no comment offered by the Sheriff’s Department. I began laughing; but it had nothing to do with the actual incident,rather it reminded me of something which happened many years ago on nightshift.

My old partner, Bob Kersten, was the station sergeant atNW. Some of the folks sitting intemporary holding cells were “unappreciative” of the music being piped into thejail; for that matter all over the police substation, don’t think anyone likedBaroque classical. I happened to wanderin off patrol to the pleadings of the desk officer, “Turn that stuff off,please!” Those in the jail used other words; all thingsconsidered there’s nothing worthy of a law suit for damages caused by Baroquemusic.

At one time I worked downtown during the day and “allegedly” happenedupon a woman parked in a moving lane of traffic outside a bank where she waswaiting for someone to cash a check. She was instructed to move along as she wasbacking up traffic; but she refused saying it would only be a few more minutes. When asked for her driver’s license she“allegedly” turned up the music so high folks a block away could have heard it and thenturned away as if by doing so I’d disappear; I didn’t.

The car she was driving was nifty little sports car, aNissan 260 Z with the “T-tops” removed as it was a beautiful clear blue skykind of day. When I continued to ask forher driver’s license she “allegedly” climbed up on top of the car and sat on the bar whichseparated the open “T-tops”.

I commented, “If you want to act like a baboon it’s finewith me; however…”, and pointing to the uniformed supervisor who was standingacross the street watching this unfold, “…you can hand me your driver’slicense, sign the ticket and move on down the road or go directly to jail.” She had a sudden change of attitude and signedthe ticket.

In other unrelated incidents, when I issued traffic ticketsI had my own version of short hand scribbled in a small vacant spot in thecorner of the ticket to help my memory of the violation months later in court. My traffic judge at the time thought he’dfigured out my system as I’d testified to red light violations over an extendedperiod of time he’d match my testimony with the numbers and letters coded onthe bottom.

One day after I’d testified about a female violator who’drun a red light by 3 car lengths the traffic judge wanted somethingclarified. Restating what he thought I’dsaid, “So, Officer Stern, you said she ran the red light by 3 and a half carlengths?”

“No, Sir. I said sheran the red light by 3 car lengths.” There was a noticeable pause as he looked down at what was written inthe corner of the ticket.

“Then what’s this 3 and ½ notation?” Things like that aren’t supposed to happen;judges aren’t supposed to introduce testimony. The prosecutor tried looking at the floor as the judge began to blush.

“The 3 means she ran the red light by 3 car lengths while the½ means she put her foot through the floor and went out of her way to run thered light, Your Honor.”

The judge considered the information and then asked, “Thenwhat’s this letter “B” for?” That was anawkward moment as I searched my mind for an acceptable answer which would notbe too crude.

“The “B” means, ah…she was, ah…Belligerent, Your Honor”,thinking to myself how fortunate it was to have a better than averagevocabulary available on the spur of a moment.

I’ve no idea what transpired the other night when the woman“allegedly” drove on the freeway shoulder and got hauled off to jail and had tolisten to conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh; I wasn’t there. I don’t remember the name of the woman whoclimbed up on top of her car so many years ago and acted like a baboon; butwouldn’t rule out the possibility of a kindred spirit. Police officers are faced with all manner offolks. Depending on how civilized theyact often times determines how a minor traffic offense turns into a can ofworms.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Ring, Ring - This is a Police State

2011-10-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my attention was drawn to an article written by Buck Sexton which appeared onThe Blaze, “Calif. Appeals Court Approves Cell Phone Searches During TrafficStops”. I didn’t know cell phones were that big adeal; okay, maybe we shouldn’t text while shifting and most of us would agreethat hands free is better than having half your field of view blocked.

“In a case explicitly decided to set a precedent, theCalifornia Appellate court has determined police officers can rifle throughyour cellphone during a traffic violation stop.”

There is a problem with granting police powers which extendbeyond protections built into a citizen’s God given right as covered under the4^th Amendment.

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons,houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shallnot be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to besearched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Times may have changed since this wonderful document waspenned; however, the intent to protect a person’s “papers and effects”, whichwould now include digital information housed in any number of devices, shallnot be violated. Police officers havebeen empowered to enforce the law and when needed to search suspects forweapons or illegal contraband; but have never had the power to go on “fishingexpeditions” under the color of “inventorying” a prisoner’s property.

Speaking from the standpoint of a retired police officer,the rules of evidence were put in place to secure individual rights; not toempower a police state. Items foundduring a lawful inventory which were clearly prohibited such as weapons orillegal substances could be entered into a court of law as evidence; however,there is a limit to what can be considered “in plain view” or what items mightbe considered “hazardous” and a risk to the safety of either the public ingeneral or the officer’s immediate safety.

“On December 6, 2009 Reid Nottoli was pulled over for speeding by Santa CruzCounty Deputy Sheriff Steven Ryan. Sheriff Ryan then suspected after pullingNottoli over that the 25-year-old was under the influence of drugs.

As Nottoli’s license was also expired, the Sheriff decided to impound thevehicle. Nottoli requested to leave his car parked on the side of the road.Sheriff Ryan refused, and decided to conduct an “inventory” search prior to thetowing.”

Up until this point the police were acting in the interests of the public,taking the suspect into custody as a possible DUI and an expired driver’slicense is a lawful arrest. The officerwas obligated by law to inventory items in the suspect’s vehicle prior tohaving it towed to an impound; again, for the benefit of the suspect and toprotect the officer from unwarranted accusations of theft or neglect in theevent items later turned up missing or were claimed to be missing.

“A fully legal Glock 20 pistol with a Guncrafter Industries 50 GI conversionthat should have been stored in the trunk of the vehicle. He also noticedNottoli’s Blackberry Curve which, after it was turned on, displayed aphotograph of a mask-wearing man holding two AR-15 rifles akimbo.”

Aside from that first sentence being incomplete, the court was informed thata legal weapon was found during the inventory. Depending on the laws in Californiathe officer either would file additional charges for improperly transporting aweapon or, since this was a lawful weapon, the officer might have stored theweapon in a proper manner until such time as the suspect was released.

Pay attention; this is where the court has stepped over the line andviolated the 4^th Amendment rights of every citizen via this onecase. The officer stated the suspect’s cellphone was not on during the inventory process; this was not a “searchincident to arrest”. The officer turnedthe cell phone on and at that time observed a photograph which caused him tobelieve photographs contained therein may link the suspect with an unrelatedcrime.

Read the intent of the 4^th Amendment once again.

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons,houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shallnot be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to besearched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

If the officer stated he feared for his personal safety orperhaps the phone was hollow and contained illegal drugs it might have beenreasonable to play with it. If thesuspect could be connected with terrorist activities in which cell phones wereused to trigger explosive devices from a remote location; at that moment theofficer might have the authority to turn on the device even if such actionswould be fool hearty considering the possibility that the simple act ofactivating the cell phone might be enough to trigger an explosive devicedepending on how it was programmed.

Idle curiosity caused the officer to turn the cell phone on;nothing more. No warrant could beobtained under such circumstances regardless of what images where presented tothe officer’s view since he had to turn the device on when it was no threat inits present state. There was no probablecause to believe the officer was arresting anyone but a DUI traffic violatorwho failed to secure a legal weapon in the trunk.

“…the appellate court’s decision, written by Franklin Elia, which read inpart:

“The deputies had unqualified authority under Gant (*) to search thepassenger compartment of the vehicle and any container found therein, includingReid’s cell phone. It is up to the US Supreme Court to impose any greaterlimits on officers’ authority to search incident to arrest.”

(*)

“This case demonstratesthat the scope of exception to the Fourth Amendment’s protection againstgovernmental searches and seizures relating to searches incident to arrest isstill unclear. Both parties address Belton’s bright-line rule to theFourth Amendment allowing warrantless vehicular searches incident to a lawfularrest. If the Supreme Court adopts Arizona’sposition on Belton, police will have broad discretion to search thevehicle of any arrestee, subject only to the limitation that the arrestee was a“recent occupant” of the vehicle. A decision for Gant, on the other hand, wouldrequire an officer to reasonably fear for his safety or the integrity of theevidence before he could search an arrestee’s vehicle without a warrant. Ineither case, the Supreme Court’s decision may further define the extent ofpolice authority to perform warrantless vehicular searches incident to a lawfularrest.”

I’m sorry Franklin Elia, opening a closed container which may or may nothide from plain view weapons or contraband is not the same as opening a closeddigital file belonging to a citizen. This no different than extracting information directly from thesuspect’s mouth and is most definitely a violation of the 4^thAmendment.

As a concerned citizen and retired police officer it is my duty to upholdthe Constitution of the United States. In the long run we are trading security for liberty; and those who do sodeserve neither security nor liberty; isn’t that what Benjamin Franklinwarned?

Our judiciary system is beingused to transform Americainto a police state; troubling to say the least. The rule of law which holds our societytogether appears to have been abandoned in favor of the police state. Our founding documents and the limits placedon government act to protect individual God given rights. Our courts now act with impunity violatingindividual rights, and with each new decision advance the notion that suchactions are justified; not by our Constitution but through each amended courtdecision linked one upon the other. Itwould appear we have already become subjects of the state rather than citizens.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, thatamong these are Life, Libertyand the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments areinstituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of thegoverned, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of theseends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institutenew Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing itspowers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safetyand Happiness.”

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Occupy Wall Street Gibberish

2011-10-04T12:06:00.003-05:00

If there was any doubt in your mind about the level ofeducation, or lack thereof, here in America; cast your eyes on some of thedemands being put forth by those intent on disrupting Wall Street as reportedby Kerry Picket of the Washington Times. File thisunder, Gobbledygook!

Star Trek fans will appreciate “demand #3: “Guaranteed living wage income regardless ofemployment.” Maybe those in the twentyfourth century don’t use money; but here in reality folks who work expect tohave more than those who don’t or as the Pilgrims used to say, “You don’t work,you don’t eat”.

I suppose that explains “demand #11: “Immediate across theboard debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercialloans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans andpersonal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the "Books." WorldBank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debtin the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the "Books." AndI don't mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planetperiod.”

We don’t need no stinkin’ banks. Money is the root of all evil; do away withmoney! From now on a room at the YMCAand a room at the Four Seasons will be open for anyone on a first come firstserve basis at no charge; and we’re supposed to take these demands seriously?

They missed a few demands, other serious issues plaguing thenation; demand #23: Pictures of hamburgers at Burger King, McDonalds or othersimilar establishments must be realistic. No more bright red tomato slices carefully placed on top of a perfectlybroiled hamburger patty when we all know that will never happen. No more bright green leaves of lettuce sincemost of the time it’s a pale gray or white limp excuse for what was promised. We’re mad as hell and we won’t take itanymore!

Demand #47: Visits from the Tooth Fairy will be paid in oneounce pure Swiss Gold bullion as one child’s tooth is to be valued equallyamong all races, ethnic and religious groups. Trips to the dentist and doctor should be free!

Parents who’ve paid countless dollars to have their childrengain an education must now face reality; you could have spent that money on atrip to Vegas, pulled a few handles and lost all that money at the craptables. Your children would still beblithering idiots, protesting a system along side the likes of Frances Fox Pixen. Heavenhelp us, these young people may be the leaders of tomorrow.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Officer Dan Starr is Retiring from HPD

2011-09-30T21:56:00.001-05:00

An old friend of mine, Dan Starr, is retiring from theHouston Police Department next month and I was invited to the party; can’t gobecause of a schedule conflict and so I’ll do my best to recall a couple ofevents we went through when he was a probationary officer.

One time we’d arrested a real winner of a young woman. She tried kicking out the windows of ourpatrol car; can’t remember if she succeeded off hand. I think she did; but that’s not why I recallthe incident. Dan was standing off tothe side while the young woman was being ugly and the next thing you know she’dspit all over him. He looked at me as ifI was supposed to give the nod to inflict serious bodily harm; but I explainedto him the rule; not the one which prevents officers from knocking suspectssilly; the other rule, don’t stand where you can get spit on so easily.

The other incident was more memorable and involved the“Killer Dr. Pepper Machine”. I’vementioned it in previous articles, mostly as a footnote withoutgoing into much detail. There is evenmention of the Killer Dr. Pepper machine in a novel I wrote, Pecaw’s Gift, chapter 34.

Originally there wasa homicide investigation dispatched to another unit; if memory serves it wasOfficer Shaw and his partner. I hadprobationary officer, Dan Starr with me and as part of his training he neededfirst hand experience working a homicide so I picked up the mike andvolunteered our unit to be primary.

Upon arrival, standard police talk, we observed one“suspect” trying to lift the huge refrigerated soda machine off of “suspect #2”who was bent into thirds and “appeared” to be DOA. I don’t think there’s a delicate way ofsaying it, he was flat as a pancake and no way was he going to be listed asanything other than DOA. The fire dept.emergency crew and another couple of HPD officers helped us pick the Dr. Peppermachine off the young man, all the while serious grown professionals weredropping one liners, “Be a Pepper”, “Maybe he wanted an Orange Crush” and otherinsensitive remarks.

We had to take the “suspect/witness” down to JuvenileDivision where he was to make his official statement; something along thelines, “We were just minding our business, walking down the sidewalk and this sodamachine fell over on him”. Never mindthat our “suspect/witness” had been sitting on top of the Dr. Pepper machinerocking it back and forth trying to dislodge the money box inside while hispartner in crime was bent down with his arm up inside the machine trying to getthe money box loose as well. That’s whenthe “law”, meaning the law of gravity, took hold of one of the suspects andpronounced him guilty on the spot.

While standing in the Juvenile Division, the young man puthis arm to the square as he swore to the truthfulness of his written statement. I grabbed Dan Starr by the arm and hadhim step back a few paces to avoid any lightning bolts that might come throughthe ceiling tiles striking the little liar dead.

Officer Starr, here’s to a wonderful retirement and may youhave the righteous desires of your heart. I wish I could attend the informal gathering to honor your service; but,duty calls.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Jihad Deniers

2011-09-29T08:48:00.002-05:00

The high priests who run the Church of Man Made Global Warming call anyone who doesn’t become disciplesof the environmental whacko movement, “Deniers”; an attempt to discredit folkswho don’t agree with a junk science whose main purpose has nothing to do withsaving Mother Earth and everything to do with wealth redistribution. Scientists who don’t sign on to thismassive hoax are, after all, “denied” federal grant money or “denied”publication in professional circles; hence the term “deniers” seems quiteappropriate.

Speaking of deniers...

This past week we learned of an individual’s attempt to wage“Jihad” on American soil. According toan article on Fox News a graduate student fromNortheastern University took delivery of the items needed; but, as theauthorities were quick to point out, “…the public was never in danger in aMassachusetts man’s alleged plot to blow up the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitolusing remote-controlled airplanes filled with explosives.”

Clearly the suspect must have been a right wing extremist; probably a devoutChristian who covertly meets regularly with fellow Tea Party conspirators.

‘“They say the explosivesdelivered to Rezwan Ferdaus were always closely monitored.”

Knowing our government was closely monitoring thesedangerous weapons certainly puts my mind at ease; better to hand a small cacheof explosives and a couple of assault rifles over to a lunatic who wants toblow up half of Washington then truck loads of assault rifles over to a bunchof Mexican drug lords; that really would beirresponsible, perhaps even criminal.

What kind of name is Rezwan Ferdau; sounds Irish, doesn’tit? Maybe Ferdau is a deep cover IrishRepublican Army member; what’s the term…Sleeper? Jihad must be some kind of potato, maybedeep fried or something. We all need tobe on alert, put on our marching shoes and watch for crafty right wingterrorists among us, those who harbor deep resentment to the Changes beingimplemented by the current régime.

“In recorded conversations, Ferdaus said he planned toattack the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol using aircraft similar to “small droneairplanes” that were guided by GPS equipment, the affidavit said. The plancalled for three remote-controlled aircraft to carry out the attacks, alongwith six other gunmen divided into two teams, with Ferdaus coordinating theoperation.”

Now it makes sense; Rezwan Ferdau isn’t an Irish name. As it turns out he’s of Middle Easternheritage, maybe even Muslim; dare I say it, a Radical Islamic Terrorist? I was expecting to hear Janet Napolitano,Secretary of Department of Homeland Security declare a victory in the WarAgainst Terror; how silly of me; there is no war on terror.

‘“I want the public to understand that Mr. Ferdaus’ conduct,as alleged in the complaint, is not reflective of a particular culture,community or religion,” said Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the Districtof Massachusetts. “In addition to protecting our citizens from the threats andviolence alleged today, we also have an obligation to protect members of everycommunity, race and religion against violence and other unlawful conduct.”

That Politically Correct assurancefrom Carmen Ortiz, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts may be moredisconcerting than the fact that a Radical Islamic Terrorist obtainedsufficient explosives to cause considerable loss of life and damage to propertywithin the borders of our sovereign nation. Here we have an official statement of denial; an intentionalmisdirection from the fact that Radical Islam has declared war on Americans andall that we stand for; in other words, Jihad Deniers.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Progressives Hate the 1st Amendment

2011-09-22T14:06:00.002-05:00

Tolerance is fine as long as your opinion happens to fall inline with the left; isn’t that what Political Correctness is all about? This past week KPRC had one of its managersissue an op-ed piece railing against the use of the “Stars and Bars” onpersonalized Texaslicense plates. In essence it was hisopinion that such a display would only serve to agitate folks who only see it asa sign of racial prejudice and bigotry.

When the world was young I was taught the Stars and Barsrepresented the Confederacy, a link to my ancestors and a proud “in your face”reminder that just because the South lost they couldn’t kill the spirit. You’d never guess from such a statement mymother was born in New Orleansand kept her accent all these years, now would ya’?

In the past several years something interesting occurredregarding the Stars and Bars. On the onehand some rather heavy drinking Neanderthal red neck bigots chose to use thatparticular logo to emphasize their immaturity. Then on the other side were the carpet baggin’ progressives who wantedto rub it in a little more that the South had been defeated; don’t show thatdamned flag or anything resembling it in public ever again. Did I mention my mother was a died in the wool Southerner?

In order to make sure the Stars and Bars was removed frompublic view it became part of the left’s politically correct black list; onlyfolks who think Blacks should still be slaves would promote it and only folkswho hate blacks would show it in public. You have to be a racist hate monger to even consider the Stars and Barsas anything but pure hate speech. Thatis what the current generation has been spoon fed so that is what they believe;pure hogwash!

Never mind history, never mind Confederate Heritage or the Sons of theConfederacy and how that symbol continues to link generations back a hundredand fifty years; no, political correctness has been applied and the Stars andBars is hate speech.

The issue at hand is the 1^st Amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom ofspeech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, andto petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Similarly, it has become hate speech to voice an opinionwhich violates another of the left’s favorite topics, homosexuality. I’m not talking about folks who go out oftheir way to insult some limp wrist panty waist who happens to sashay downthe sidewalk in funny looking shoes; but if the shoe fits…; no, just your plaineveryday conversation in which an opinion is expressed, something to theeffect, “I think homosexuality is a sin”.
.

Progressives have taken up the banner and so the use of theword homosexual, unless it is to compliment the Mayor of Houston, that kind oftalk is now hate speech. Hey, we areprogressives and we get to determine what is tolerated and what is hate speech.

Take for example a Fox News story by Lari Barager out of Ft. Worth, Texas, Student Suspended for Saying Gay is Wrong.

“Fourteen-year-old Dakota Ary spent most of the day Tuesday serving anin-school suspension. It was punishment for discussion in his German class at Fort Worth’s Western Hills High School.

“We were talking about religions in Germany. I said, ‘I’m a Christian.I think being a homosexual is wrong,’” he said. “It wasn’t directed to anyoneexcept my friend who was sitting behind me. I guess [the teacher] heard me. Hestarted yelling. He told me he was going to write me an infraction and send meto the office.”’

Ary is an honor student and probably has read andunderstands the Constitution. Perhapshis German instructor should try reading it. Come to think of it, the “assistant principal (who) called Ary’s motherat work to let her know he was in trouble” should read it as well. Maybe the two of them could write on theblack board, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment ofreligion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom ofspeech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, andto petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Like it or not progressives run our public schools,universities and fill many positions of power throughout government. This is no accident as Cleon Skousen pointedout in his book, The Naked Communist. Here are just a few of their goals in noparticular order.

“Get control of the schools.Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda.Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the partyline in textbooks.

Eliminate all laws governingobscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speechand free press.

Break down cultural standardsof morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motionpictures, radio, and TV.

Present homosexuality,degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”

Discredit the AmericanConstitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modernneeds, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.”

How are they doing sofar? Those who would destroy all that isgood in Americause the text of our Constitution; but only when it serves to advance theiragenda. In actuality these folks hatethe fact that freedom of speech applies to everyday conversations betweenindividuals, conversations which depict them as what they are, progressiveshell bent on “change”.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Don’t Do Anything Stupid

2011-09-19T16:20:00.003-05:00

Years ago, don’t think I’m supposed to start off a sentencelike that; but years ago a few of my close friends at church would end theSunday meeting block by saying to each other, “Don’t do anything stupid”. We each knew how easy it was to make mistakesduring the work week so we’d give this light hearted warning to eachother. The list of stupid things waswide open to our imagination; much like the scriptures that tell us to avoidsin, just be careful out there.

This afternoon I called one of my old buddies to let him knowhe should have called this morning with that warning, “Don’t do anythingstupid”. He immediately broke into adeep laugh while asking, “Okay, Stern, What’d you do this time?” I then told him and remarked that perfectionhad yet to grab hold of me as he continued to laugh at such a prospect.

A Ford dealership called me out to make and program a set ofkeys for a 2001 Mustang which they had sitting on their entry drive. The customer was waiting and a little upsetthat a Ford dealership couldn’t make the keys; but the car was ten years oldand Ford had already dumped the key codes.

Once the mechanical key was completed and turned in theignition to set up the programming of the new transponder keys it wasdetermined the battery was dead. Subsequent to hooking up a set of jumper cables from my truck the aftermarket alarm kicked in; seems the alarm system had been going off for quitesome time and drained the battery. Thecustomer didn’t have the clicker and the bypass switch didn’t shut the noisemaker off while the programming took place, wonderful!

The customer was present the whole time and watched as Iexplained how the old key (s) that were either lost of stolen would no longerbe authorized or start that vehicle; she seemed relieved at hearing thisinformation. I then programmed the twonew keys and demonstrated that they did indeed start the vehicle; the aftermarket alarm sounding each time the key was turned. I advised her to take the vehicle to where the after market alarm had been installed to acquire another clicker; butshe said it had come with the car when she bought it and didn’t know where thealarm had been installed, believing it was a Ford alarm system.

I told her that she could cut the wire going to the soundinghorn and still drive the car; but it would be better in the long run tohave the after market alarm system removed. I handed the bill to the service writer and got my purchase order.

About half an hour later I got a call, “Who’d you give thekeys to”? I’d made sure Not to hand thekeys to the lady who owned the car; my customer was the Ford dealership servicepeople, the folks who were paying me. Asinking feeling came over me as I realized the keys were in my pocket and I’ddriven ten miles across town. After allthese years of training myself to make sure the customer handled the keys last,make sure they felt the key turn in the lock, make sure they liked the job; Istill screwed up.

Eating Humble Pie once in a while is healthy for mortals;just wish I didn’t get to eat it quite so often. I suppose I should be grateful, could havebeen a lot worse; the customer might not have accepted my sincere apology forhaving done something dumb. Here’s themessage, “Don’t do anything stupid”, isn’t a one time reminder.

This article has been cross posted toThe Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

This will also appear asa feature article on Fiercely Independent Locksmiths of America’s website.

Government Approved Defense

2011-09-16T16:39:00.001-05:00

Waking up in Americaeach morning must be close to having Alzheimer’s; not really sure what memoriesare working and which are figments of imagination. Take for example an article by Doug Irelandposted to the Eagle Tribune, Veto override expand NH deadly force law.

“Local police are concerned public safety could be at risk afterlawmakers voted yesterday to override the governor’s veto of a bill that allowspeople to use deadly force in public places.

The New Hampshire House voted, 251-111, to overturn the veto ofSenate Bill 88 a week after the state Senate did the same.

Members of the Republican-dominated House praised the move,saying it gives New Hampshireresidents the right to adequately protect themselves.

The previous law only allowed people to use a gun or otherweapon to defend themselves in their own homes. The new law, which takes effectin 60 days, allows deadly force anywhere.”

Plenty of legislators vote on bills they haven’t read, have noclue as to the content and yet will stand in front of their constituents andclaim to have represented them. I guessthe same is true about other important documents; they hold their arm to thesquare and pledge to uphold the Constitution without having read it. These same folks want to protect our Godgiven rights as found in the Bill of Rights; but only when it suits theiragenda.

The Governor of New Hampshire vetoed a piece of legislationwhich need not have been written in the first place; individuals already have aGod given right to defend themselves and it applies anywhere that individualmight be attacked, it’s found in the 2^nd Amendment.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right ofthe people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

A less controversial term would be “natural rights”, those whichexist prior to the organization of government; perhaps the distinction betweenGod given individual rights and natural rights is indeed relevant as “natural” marginalizesmankind’s relationship with God; we are, after all, made in His image. (I’ll discount non-believers and theirprotestations regarding America’sdependence upon God without blinking. When they’ve spent their last breathe and find themselves in the Spiritworld somebody can explain it to them.)
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There are many scriptures which testify of our being children ofour Heavenly Father; however one which best applies to the discussion of selfdefense is found inGenesis 9:6.

“Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: forin the image of God made he man.”

Think about that short verse; the acknowledgment of violent actsbetween men is explained along with the authorization to retaliate or preventviolence. It doesn’t say the authorityor responsibility rests with the police or justice department; individuals havethe right to shed blood in response to violence.
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There’s a short explanation of the Supreme Court’s District of Columbia v.Heller at FindLaw.com which covered the essentials; or doesit?

“Prior to the Supreme Court’s 2008 decision in District of Columbia v.Heller, the courts had yet to definitively state what right the SecondAmendment protected. The opposing theories, perhaps oversimplified, were (1) an“individual rights” approach, whereby the Amendment protected individuals’rights to firearm ownership, possession, and transportation; and (2) a “states’rights” approach, under which the Amendment only protected the right to keepand bear arms in connection with organized state militia units. Moreover, itwas generally believed that the Amendment was only a bar to federal action, notto state or municipal restraints.

However, the Supreme Court has now definitively held that the SecondAmendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm unconnected withservice in a militia, and to use that weapon for traditionally lawful purposes,such as self-defense within the home. Moreover, this right applies not just tothe federal government, but to states and municipalities as well.”

Not wishing to appear obtuse; but where in the 2^ndAmendment does it say an individual’s God given right to keep and bear Arms islimited to his/her home? I’ll save youthe trouble, it doesn’t. Government islimited, an individuals right to keep and bear arms “shall not be infringed”.

The Constitution and Bill of Rights outline the Proper Role of Government and were intended to prevent government frominfringing on those rights. Many laws arepoorly written, intentionally complicated and unnecessary; beyond that, agoodly portion have been passed in direct conflict with our Constitution andBill of Rights. Come Election Daywouldn’t it be important to elect representatives who’ve read and understandthese documents? We don’t need approvalfrom government to defend ourselves; not in our homes or anywhere else, wealready have that right!

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Chicago Style Politics

2011-09-14T15:27:00.001-05:00

Corruption seems to work its way into the conversation whenthe Obama administration gets involved; after all, it’s the Chicago way of doing things. Fast and Furious is a bomb waiting to explode onthe White House lawn depending on how far knowledge of the illegal operationwent up the chain of command. There aremany who believe the operation was known all the way to the top; that Obama hadgiven the okay to provide weapons to drug cartels. We may never know the answer; witnessesseldom live to testify when it comes to Chicagostyle corruption.

Then there’s the Solyndra loan and subsequent bankruptcy which alsothreatens to blow up in Obama’s face. Reputablesources have said the White House “pressured” the Energy Department to provide Solyndraa $528 million loan even though the company was already in trouble.

‘“A half a billion dollars that was not supported in Januaryunder the Bush administration was ... conditionally recommended in March,” Rep.Joe Barton, R-Texas, pointed out.”

I looked at the photograph which accompanied the lead storyas it appeared on Fox News, Obama standing next to a fellow wearing the whitelab coat with the Solyndra company logo in the background and had to wonderwhat was being explained. “Mr.President, your cut will be safely stored away behind that stainless steeldoor. Five white envelopes, eachcontaining one million dollars in unmarked untraceable bills as yourequested.” This is pure speculation, butisn’t that the way it’s done Chicagostyle?

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

American Jobs Act and Raccoons

2011-09-09T18:10:00.002-05:00

President Obama’s jobs speech wasn’t much different thanrhetoric used to bilk American tax payers on stimulus packages before. Obama said, “Let’s pass this jobs bill rightaway”, even though it hasn’t been written or presented to Congress as yet. This morning I recognized the similarities tosomething in my back yard, an empty container of cat food. You read right, an empty container of catfood made me think of Obama’s call to pass a piece of legislation which nobodyhas read; this might take some explainin’.

Our garage has become a rest haven for Hobo Kitties along with an occasional skunk,opossum and raccoon. These critterswander around the neighborhood and spot the Hobo’s X painted on the garage door,stop in for a drink of fresh water, a free meal and a safe place to hide if theelements are threatening. Those animalswhich act half way civil to each other are permitted to stay while those whobecome “problematic” usually leave in a black plastic body bag.

The day starts by filling three bowls of cat food intendedfor the Hobo Kitties which lasts most of the day. The huge communal water bowl doubles as a bathtubfor opossums and raccoons each night so it has to be cleaned and replenishedeach morning or it looks more like a mud wrestling pit.

At one time we kept a pair of five gallon heavy duty plasticcontainers filled with dry cat food in the garage; that is until the raccoonsfigured out how to unscrew the lids. Wecame out one morning and they’d emptied both containers and eaten every lastmorsel. Ten pounds of food “vanishedlike a fart in the wind”; a line the Warden used from the movie ShawshankRedemption that fit the situation. From that day on we stored the large containers in the house, notexactly a Martha Stewart moment; it’s worked for better than a year now. Once a week we transfer from the five galloncontainers to more manageable containers which are lighter and have snap onlids that allow for pouring the dry food much easier.

Last night after pouring half rations into the bowls, halfrations so the Hobo Kitties will leave them completely empty and not encourageunwanted visitors like skunks, opossums and raccoons; I set the small containerdown and got distracted with some chore in the back yard. This morning I went to feed the Hobo Kittiesbut the container was no where to be found, at least it wasn’t in the kitchennook where it was supposed to be. Ilooked out the back window and saw the lid sitting in a planter box where ourtomato garden used to be and the empty container on the other side of the backyard; the raccoons had a party and had emptied a weeks worth of food in one sitting.

Do you see a similarity between raccoons raiding Hobo Kittyfood stores and spending policies of the Obama administration? Regardless of how much is put away for thefuture it all gets used up if given half a chance, and the next day, when thesun comes up a cry goes out for more to end the new crisis.

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate hadthis to say, according to an article at the Fox News :

“Faced with the reality of historic unemployment rates andrecord federal debt, I had hoped that President Obama, by now, wouldunderstand that even more government spending doesn't create jobs,” he said.“Rather than offer a new roadmap for recovery and reform, he merely dusted offa tired agenda of old ideas wrapped in freshly partisan rhetoric.”

In the same article:

“The president’s so-called jobs plan is to try those verysame policies again and then accuse anyone who doesn't support them this timearound of being political or overtly partisan, of not doing what's needed inthis moment of crisis,” Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said. “Thisisn’t a jobs plan. It’s a re-election plan.”

Obama wants to throw money away, money we don’t have,claiming it will go toward job creation; but jobs are not created bygovernment, that part of the economy requires a growing economy based on supplyand demand.

The reason we’re in a recession is complex and won’t be solvedby throwing money in the air for a few to grab up. Folks who run businesses have good reason tobe cautious as government places mandates and restrictions on themarket place. This isn’t the time toexpand or hire new employees because nobody knows which part of the free marketsystem government will destroy or take over next.

Don’t let Obama have another chance at raiding the treasury;it’s already been emptied. Economicrecovery, long term investments and job growth will have to wait until theraccoon has left the White House.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending TheJudeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

The blog has been revived

2011-09-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday my blog got redirected into oblivion; probably bysomething I did while working on the template; things like that should be keptout of the hands of folks like me. I wastrying to snatch the URL for a 9/11 Tribute which I’ve had on my sidebar so Icould post it on Facebook. That workedout great; no tribute and it locked my blog off the internet all at the sametime.

I was about to start a new blog to take its place when “Waha”the old blog showed up. It looked a lotdifferent and my side bar items were gone, including the 9/11 Tribute and allthe places I visit regularly. I was ableto salvage some of the links; but if you notice yours is missing, send me anemail letting me know, “Do you feel lucky, Punk…Well Do ya’?”

This is Labor Day Weekend so I might have time to do some “tweeking”to the way this blog thing looks. I’dlike to here from you, what you’d like to see added or deleted.

Happy Birthday Dad

2011-08-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

I called my folks this morning to wish dad a Happy Birthday. Mom answered; but she wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t sure she was up to taking dad out for dinner, much less making his cake.

Many years ago mom wasn’t feeling well on dad’s birthday. It was a hot August afternoon in Levittown, Long Island, New York. The air conditioning where my father worked wasn’t working and he was looking forward to getting home where he could relax, take a shower and enjoy what remained of his birthday.

The cake mom made split in two and she did her best to fill in the crack with extra chocolate icing before giving up and heading for bed since she wasn’t feeling well. She placed the cake in the middle of the dinning room table with a note, something to the effect, “Enjoy your birthday cake”.

Earlier in the day my brother and I had cleaned the fish tank. We’d left the fancy blue rocks on the bottom of the tub to dry, never considering someone might want to use the tub after we’d gone to bed.

The house was dark as everyone was already asleep when he got home. He glanced at the note on the dinning room table, the one telling him to enjoy his birthday cake, “What cake?” He only saw an empty plate, the one the dog left after having eaten the entire cake leaving only a trace of chocolate icing.

Dad reached into the freezer for some ice only to find grape Kool-Aid ice cubes which were half frozen, not exactly what he’d planned. In my mind I can see him taking a deep breath and letting it out, shaking his head and wondering what else could go wrong.

He opted for a shower, stepping into the tub without looking his tender feet landed on the rocks from the fish tank. The expressions which escaped his lips were not recorded; but you can bet they were spot on. I’m told he carefully gathered up the rocks and placed them in the kitchen trash with a vow never to let us have another fish tank.

Did I mention dogs that eat lots of chocolate cake tend to get sick, from both ends? Dad cleaned up several locations throughout the house prior to venturing into the shower for his second attempt at leaving the day behind. He never noticed the small fish tank rocks embedded in the soap bar as he gouged the side of his face; why else would he have let out a death defying war hoop in the middle of the night?

Here’s hoping your birthday is quiet and peaceful; Happy Birthday Dad!

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Fixing Camera Issued Tickets

2011-08-26T15:02:00.000-05:00

The City of Houston put itself in an interesting predicament, caught between the proverbial rock and hard place, through a series of blunders related to Red Light Camera Ticket Enforcement. Red light cameras were installed, ostensibly as a public safety measure; but in reality they were installed to generate revenue for the city and the private contractor, a private contractor who only required a percentage of the “take” according to the contract entered into.

The citizens of Houston voted the arrangement down; but only after a contract had been signed and put in place; too long a time period having elapsed for such a referendum to be voted upon by the citizenry. The Mayor flip flopped, perhaps a political brain cramp, and decided the contract took precedent over the will of the citizens and had the cameras turned back on to issue more tickets in order to avoid litigation by the company which maintained the mechanical devices. City Council, having observed an uncomfortable amount of heat directed towards the Mayor’s Office which would eventually include all City Council members coming up for re-election, decided to put it to a vote according to an article by Gabe Gutierrez of KHOU 11 News .

“Council members first passed a non-binding resolution to take the cameras down, but then took it a step further – outlawing them in the City of Houston.”

Wonderful, we’re out of one frying pan and back into the other.

“They’ll be fighting the manufacturer of the cameras, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), in court over breach-of-contract claims.”

Here’s how to “fix” the mess without having ATS sue the city for gobs of money they think they’re entitled; keep issuing red light camera tickets. That’s right, keep issuing tickets until the cows come home; but instead of demanding violators pay an automatic fine, have specific wording on each ticket indicating payments are strictly voluntary based on an individual’s “civic responsibility” or conscious desire to do what is right.

There could be additional explanations which point to the fact the city could not produce witnesses to the event in a court of law, at least none that actually observed the running of the red light. Certified Police Officers who review the images on film were not present at the time of the violation and it would certainly be difficult, if not impossible to put a mechanical device on the witness stand should a defendant demand his/her right to cross examination, a time honored and established legal procedure. Judges would be instructed to dismiss any and all challenges to camera issued tickets; no revenue produced and fairly expensive to maintain such a system.

Eventually ATS would look at the bottom line of their “investment” and declare the “for profit venture” a failure; they would bow out of the business quietly. The City of Houston would have honored its original contract and the citizens would eventually see red light traffic camera devices vanish like a bad dream when the sun comes over the horizon.

The lesson; we need to stay within long established legal boundaries requiring human witnesses to testify in our civil and criminal courts. Witnesses must be available for cross examination instead of turning things over to mechanical devices. Returning to these necessary limits would work for Houston and other municipalities where traffic ticket enforcement is based on revenue generation rather than the public’s safety. Remember, the first concern voiced by our city leaders after red light cameras were voted down wasn’t the safety of our citizens; it was how to make up the loss of revenue!

Folks who run red lights are a real danger to society; please don’t read anything into what I’ve said; just make sure we enforce the law in a fair, just and lawful manner. Those who run red lights put lives and property at risk and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law; but only if the violation can be proven in a court of law with real live witnesses, one of whom would normally be a uniformed police officer who observed the incident in person.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Robert Gibbs the Perfect Reverse Barometer

2011-08-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

There’s a short AP article which has advice from Robert Gibbs, one of Obama’s re-election campaign strategists (“strategerists” for Rush listeners). Immediately the thought occurred, General Custer supposedly asked an Indian scout which way to go at the battle of Little Big Horn. In the movie, Little Big Man , Custer explained, “what ever this scout says will be exactly the opposite of what he wants me to do”. So it is with Robert Gibbs, anything he says will be a reverse barometer.

“Former White House press secretary Robert Gibbs says Republicans must decide whether they’re going to “swear allegiance to the tea party” or work with Democrats to create jobs.”

Let’s take that statement apart and find out what Gibbs is actually saying. Republicans must decide whether they’re going to “swear allegiance to the tea party”; isn’t that the same as reminding folks “tea party” is code for main stream America? The Tea Party movement represents a broad swath of middle American values which are easily identifiable; government should follow the rule of law and stay within Constitutional limits, enforce immigration laws, stop spending money we don’t have and sharply curtail entitlement programs to name a few.

Gibbs made it sound like an “either/or” proposition, “work with Democrats to create jobs” or abandon all hope; as in Hope and Change. He meant to say Union jobs; but in either case government cannot create jobs, they can only hinder the free market where real jobs are born of necessity. Gibbs thinks Republicans should abandon American values and join with Democrats; swell, just swell!

“He also suggested that some Republicans “do not want to see this economy get better” because they know continuing misery will likely improve their election prospects.”

The Democrat’s agenda leads to destruction; pardon me if I associate them with Progressives, or should I simply call them Marxists intent on destroying our Constitutional Republic? Isn’t that what redistribution of wealth is all about?

Printing money at record rates will eventually make the Dollar worthless and inflationary prices on basic commodities which follows will make it extremely difficult (extreme is a trigger word used by the left when labeling conservatives; turn about is fair play). At the same time our ability to run industry will no longer exist since Obama’s directives to the EPA have handcuffed the coal and oil industries and the jobless rate will be near twenty percent before it’s all over. Which party doesn’t want to see the economy get better?

We are nearing that point in time when the American people will do like other desperate people have done across the earth; they will grab hold of anything which looks like it might keep them afloat, even if that means living in bondage under socialism. When we as individuals forget to be self sufficient and permit ourselves to take government handouts a little piece of liberty is sacrificed. Is this what Obama meant when he asked every one to sacrifice a little more in order to bring about the Transformation of America?

The end game of the Democrat Party is totalitarian socialism. This is not a hidden agenda , only now have all the stars been aligned in such a way as to make it possible to complete. Don’t believe me; go down the list!

One last quote from Gibbs and it’s time to give it a rest… I had to put brown shoes on prior to including this last quote.

“Gibbs says Obama favors a number of moves to help businesses step up hiring. He says “the president is not focused on keeping his job, most of all. He’s focused on creating jobs for the American people.”’

Gibbs would have us believe; speaking as one of Obama’s re-election campaign strategists, Obama’s current bus tour isn’t a re-elect Obama campaign tour on wheels. Obama has never stopped running for office; that’s the only reason he steps in front of a teleprompter. He certainly can’t run on his accomplishments, only on the promise of better things to come while continuing to blame the previous administration for all our ills. You want jobs, you’re family has lost its house, you’re unemployment check is about to run out, “Here I am to save the day…Mighty Mouse will save the day”; I mean “Obama and government handouts will save the day”.

Obama’s focused on doing a number on the American public, not on creating jobs for the American people. Obama and those in his close knit circle of advisers despise main stream America and what we stand for. Is it any wonder their attacks at the tea party movement are so vicious? When they tell us our only hope is to join with them, shouldn’t we first ask, “Why would we want to join with you in destroying the greatest nation ever?” No thank you; instead let’s restore that which was great to begin with!

Thank you Robert Gibbs for reminding everyone of what really is going on; your advice is priceless.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Can I get a Witness?

2011-08-11T11:03:00.001-05:00

There’s an article by Michael E. Ruane in the Washington Post, Gettysburg battle bullets found embedded in tree 148 years later . Historians call these Witness Trees since they stood at the time of the Civil War battle; bullet fragments captured in them testify of that terrible conflict.

‘“The real witnesses to the battle… are still here,” John Heiser, Gettysburg National Military Park historian, said Tuesday, “even though they can’t talk to us… They’re the last living witnesses to this singular event.”’

Thinking about the historical significance of these silent witnesses, what could we learn from trees whose lumber yielded building materials for houses, barns, furniture and other everyday items? Do such inanimate objects stand as witnesses or is that just a metaphor intended to grab the reader’s attention?

Could lumber used to build a house have seen a family struggling to make ends meet or would it have recorded tender moments as love was shared among friends and family at dinner? Perhaps some trees were turned into stately chairs and reside in the halls of Congress; wouldn’t that be interesting, the tales they could tell. It’s all speculation, considering what a tree might say; isn’t it?

A tour of Washington D.C.’s national buildings provides a glimpse of symbols which denote a binding link to God, as our Creator is so titled in the Declaration of Independence. Moses holding up the Ten Commandments adorns the top of the Capitol Building and the Ten Commandments appear engraved on the entrance doors of the Supreme Court. “Laus Deo”, translated into English, “Praise be to God”, rests atop the Washington Monument, etched into the solid aluminum stone cap. The list goes on and on; but those are just symbols, visual expressions of what is in our hearts and minds.

“We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” - James Madison, fourth president and considered the “father of our Constitution”

There is a concerted effort to separate our nation from anything having to do with religion and its associated symbols. The argument hinges on a ruling by our Supreme Court that somewhere in our Constitution a separation of church and state exists. Such wording isn’t in the Constitution; but the ruling stands all the same. The idea that our founding fathers intended such a separation is preposterous based on the archived writings available; but that hasn’t stopped the non-believers from filing law suit after law suit to have religious symbols removed.

Getting back to the Witness Trees of Gettysburg, what would the timbers, the carved stone and mortar used to build our nation’s capitol have to say to folks attempting to distance us from God?

“The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator.” Alma 30:44

Did you catch that, “…all things denote there is a God, yea, even in the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it…”, trees, dirt, rocks and every other item found under, on or above the Earth testify of our Creator. How is it then, with all do respect to those who are intent on proving otherwise, these individuals have chosen to not to accept such evidence?

The Book of Jeremiah, chapter 5 explained it quite well starting in verse 21;

“Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:”

Skipping down a little:

“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich.” (verses 25-27)

Look out for the consequences for rebelliousness…

“Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?” (verse 29)

Should not a nation built under the direction of the Lord, a nation whose founding documents were written by choice individuals chosen for this purpose , should not our citizens be grateful for the many blessings we have been given? Be careful how you answer, more importantly, how you act; the rocks and trees are observing. They stand eternally as witnesses, either for or against your willingness to follow the Commandments of God.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Defending Core Tea Party Beliefs

2011-08-09T01:48:00.004-05:00

I’ve been challenged to defend “core Tea Party beliefs” and requirements directed toward our government by someone who claims I’m out of touch with reality. He’d visited one of my recent articles and left a comment which listed the following as “unrealistic” core beliefs found on one of the “official Tea Party” websites.

1. Illegal Aliens Are Here Illegally.
2. Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable.
3. Stronger Military Is Essential.
4. Special Interests Eliminated.
5. Gun Ownership Is Sacred.
6. Government Must Be Downsized.
7. National Budget Must Be Balanced.
8. Deficit Spending Will End.
9. Bail-Out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal.
10. Reduce Personal Income Taxes A Must.
11. Reduce Business Income Taxes Are Mandatory.
12. Political Offices Available To Average Citizens.
13. Intrusive Government Stopped.
14. English As Core Language Is Required.
15. Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged.

There you have it, fifteen ideas which appear to separate Tea Partiers from reality, at least according to those who apparently believes life can’t exist without government involvement in each and every aspect of our lives. In a word, Poppycock!

Illegal Aliens Are Here Illegally

Now that’s a tough one, Illegal Aliens are Here Illegally. President Obama and Homeland Security seem to have difficulty understanding that as well; guess I’ll have to concede the match, throw my hands up in despair and give up.

The border between our sovereign nations means absolutely nothing; immigration laws mean absolutely nothing and citizenship means absolutely nothing. I think not; those who enter our nation in any way other than legally therefore are here illegally. (That’s 1 for the Tea Party)

Pro-Domestic Employment Is Indispensable

If Americans were rich beyond our wildest dreams I suppose we could have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (where’s Ed McMan when you need him) done by the “hired help”. We’d all have two or three (undocumented) Mexican maids, an Argentine butler and a Chinese chauffer to pamper us daily. There would be a full compliment of Polish yard workers and Pakistani maintenance people to keep the estate going not to mention our haberdashery over in Hong Kong and a seamstress in Paris. I guess that’s pushing the envelope; where are summer jobs flipping burgers for kids in high school or grad students working their way through college? No, there has to be domestic employment or our children will grow up spoiled beyond measure.

We’re not rich beyond belief; a good percentage of Americans actually have to earn a living. Unfortunately our government has created an unfavorable business environment on our own soil and has driven jobs away by the thousands, many which involve the creation of tangible products which now are made over seas. In the month of July alone over 600 newly imposed mandates were implemented which make it that much harder for businesses to operate. Pro-domestic employment is indispensable. (That’s 2 for the Tea Party)

Stronger Military Is Essential

Until recently the United States was considered the world’s super power; that is until “we” (read that any way you like; but it still comes out the same) decided to relinquish the title and become a spineless jelly fish adrift in an ocean of sharks. The singular most important job which We the People have given our government is to safeguard our God given inalienable rights from those who would seek to do us harm. Having the strongest military possible is essential to inflict mortal damage on a grand scale or simply have the ability to do so; it matters not. Our enemies are forced to consider the consequences as long as we remain strong. (If you’re keeping score, that’s 3 for the Tea Party)

Special Interests Eliminated

That could be interpreted any number of ways; let’s just say the wording is a bit vague. Our Declaration of Independence did a wonderful job of expressing the sentiment:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”

That means no matter how much influence a lobbyist uses to sway our elected representatives, our God given inalienable rights can never be voted away in favor of special projects intended to enrich a small segment of society at the expense of others. Somewhere along the way elected representatives have misplaced their allegiance along with their integrity in favor of “filthy lucre”; they’ve sold their souls for a few pieces of silver. It is not unreasonable to expect and even demand people of character and integrity to represent us. (That’s 4 for the Tea Party)

Gun Ownership Is Sacred

The 2nd Amendment listed in the Bill of Rights to our Constitution defines one of our inalienable God given rights, the right to own and bear arms. While this singular right has often been argued as to its exact meaning and scope; our Supreme Court recently made it evidently clear that the right to own and bear arms is an Individual right and may not be restricted other than in the case of mental instability or other such invalidations. Whether or not a person believes in God or an all powerful deity is of little importance; the “natural right” to defend life and property existed prior to the formation of any government. (Five for the Tea Party and counting)

Government Must Be Downsized

How big should government be, perhaps I should alter that; how big should our federal government be? The answer; only as big as necessary to accomplish the tasks assigned to it through our Constitution; not one iota more. Government works best at its smallest level, being close enough to those who must abide by its rules, regulations and laws. It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to explain this principle; however the folks in Washington would have us believe “they know better”. They know better than the individual what formula blend of gasoline we should use, what kind of light bulb to read by and which toilet paper is environmentally friendly; bluntly put, they are mistaken. A goodly portion of the laws enacted stand at variance to our Constitution, having usurped powers never intended and certainly at odds with God given individual rights. Government must be downsized in order to comply with the will of the governed. (Six for the Tea Party and I’ve yet to break stride)

National Budget Must Be Balanced

Why is this concept difficult to accept? As individuals we must adhere to this rule; why should government be exempt from eternal laws? We can only spend that which we are able to cover through actual income; either with a cash and carry system or within reasonable expectation of future earnings such as would be necessary to make a car payments or mortgage over an extended yet established and finite time period. The idea of placing future generations in bondage for our reckless spending is deplorable and immoral.

Likewise, it is immoral to expect one group of citizens to carry the burdens of others through disproportionate taxing systems intent of depriving some individuals the fruits of their labors while rewarding other individuals who have not. Being a citizen requires effort and our government has violated the trust of its citizenry by promising rewards and entitlements to undeserving members of society in such unrealistic amounts as to bankrupt even the wealthiest among us.

“Though the people support the Government, the Government should not support the people.” - Democrat President Grover Cleveland

Spending must be restrained and brought within reasonable limits even if it means cutting social programs which many among us have taken for granted. Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements are in violation of moral concepts and we as a people turned a blind eye from their inception. Socialism is not compatible with our constitutional republic. The welfare of our citizenry should be taken care of at the local level by means other than government such as private donation or church funds.

Redistribution of wealth through taxation is nothing more than government authorized theft and cannot be compared with charitable donations intended to help the less fortunate or those in desperate need. Balancing the budge would be much less trouble if it were not for special interests and entitlement spending; but that limitation on government “taxes” reason for those looking for Utopian castles in the sky. ( That’s 7 time, for a Dr Pepper)

Deficit Spending Will End

Deficit spending has been covered in the previous section; however, there’s a great article worth reading, an interview with Milton Friedman .

“In the long run government will spend whatever the tax system will raise, plus as much more as it can get away with. That’s what history tells us, I think. So my view has always been: cut taxes on any occasion, for any reason, in any way, that’s politically feasible. That’s the only way to keep down the size of government.” (Eight for the Tea Party)

Bail-Out And Stimulus Plans Are Illegal

If Congress would stick to limits placed upon it by our Constitution it wouldn’t have to explain why it was involved in “Crony Capitalism”, favoring one business over another, or businesses “too big to fail”. The free market capitalistic system which has served our country has been, forgive the common expression, “basterdized” to the point where it’s hard to tell if it isn’t closer to pure socialism than capitalism. Government is strictly forbidden from playing favorites and yet that is exactly what is going on; paying off political “debts” with favorable trade arrangements.

The use of taxpayer money is a stewardship which requires people of integrity and character. Sadly it is the disposition of all men that when they obtain a little power they tend to use that power unrighteously. It is not unreasonable for We the People to expect or even demand our government commit to following limits placed upon it by our Constitution. (That’s 9 and still counting)

Reduce Personal Income Taxes A Must

Personal income taxes have been used to redistribute wealth ever since it was forced upon the public. The purpose of a “graduated tax” was to level the playing field so to speak; the rich wouldn’t mind helping out in a disproportionate manner since the poor didn’t have the means to accomplish grand projects proposed for our national infrastructure. Beyond being immoral, the graduated income tax has become a tool used to deprive earned income from successful individuals as if exceptionalism were some sort of sin, “You make too much compared to others so we will relieve you of what others rightfully would have if you hadn’t stolen it to begin with.” Isn’t that a nice way of putting it?

Regardless of wealth redistribution, natural laws of productivity kick in at some magical point. It becomes counter productive to work if the government is going to take it all anyway; better to take a vacation than work.

Ronald Reagan explained this thought process when he was a member of the Actor’s Guild. Any money he made after a certain amount was taxed at such a high rate as to make him want to sit out the rest of the year and not make any movies once the “target” level had been reached. The same holds true for wage earners or those simply raking in money from their investments; if the government is going to take it all; why bother extending or stretching to reach your highest potential? (Ten and I haven’t stuttered once, not even once)

Reduce Business Income Taxes Are Mandatory

The idea of taxing business only adds to the cost of doing business. The cost of doing business is always passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. In actuality, by taxing businesses, individuals at every level of earning capacity are paying higher taxes. This is a hidden tax which hurts the lowest income levels of our society more so than any other tax. (Moving right along, that was 11)

Political Offices Available To Average Citizens

I have mixed feeling on this particular point; not that my opinion is so important. Those who represent We the People are going to be tempted by special interest groups and lobbyists at every turn. The “average citizen” might not with stand the temptations offered whereas a person of established means might not.

In the movie, A Man For All Seasons, there was a scene on the river where a boatman had been hired to taxi Sir Thomas Moore, played by Paul Scofield, to his residence. He held for display, to an up and coming young man, a silver pitcher given by a lobbyist to sway his opinion. Our hero tossed it in the river, recognizing it for what it was, a poorly fashioned bribe. The boatman retrieved the “prize” as it broke the water’s surface, before it was lost forever; as it was worth a considerable sum, then as it would be now.

With the power to legislate also come temptations, often more than the average person might be prepared to resist through self discipline, which certainly isn’t being taught in our public schools; that was the lesson Sir Thomas Moore wanted understood. Have we learned it; I think not.

So it is with our elected representatives. I fear the “average citizen”, if there can be such a moniker placed on humans, the average citizen in our day has not been sufficiently taught to resist temptation. Even so, the financially elite among us, those who are currently serving have ignored Sir Thomas Moore’s council and seek monetary incentives at every turn; I could be mistaken on this issue. (The Tea Party movement is built upon “average citizens” who represent a goodly portion of We the People; admittedly, I may be a bit short sighted on this one)

Intrusive Government Stopped

This topic has been covered throughout all the above subsections. If our elected government officers and representatives would adhere to Constitutional limitations placed upon them the Tea Party movement wouldn’t have to remind them of their back sliding ways. God given individual rights are not to be toyed with. (Not too many left, are you with me so far?)

English As Core Language Is Required

English is the language of the United States of America, all others are fine when individual citizens are within the confines of their homes or businesses. The idea of America having to be “diversified” is a ploy used by progressives to undermine the unifying Spirit requisite for a successful society. Pandering to each and every minority defeats the purpose of our great Experiment, an experiment which requires our several states to agree on certain basic elements; English as our language is part of our foundation. Those who come here seeking the blessings offered need to learn English so they can be assimilated and become We the People; anything less is destructive of these purposes. (Almost done, hang in there)

Traditional Family Values Are Encouraged

Our country was founded on Christian principles as set forth in the Bible. I know, that catches in the craw of progressives and those claiming otherwise. None the less, our originating documents are the result of wise men specifically brought forth at precisely the right moment to establish a nation which would honor our Creator and gain His stamp of approval on our founding documents and form of government.

The family is the single most important unit of government and the teachings which proceed from within the walls of our individual homes determine the quality of our lives. The family unit has come under attack by those who recognize this fact. There is a concerted effort to destroy the foundations of America, the family unit is at the top of the list. We are in a war, the same war which started before the Earth was formed; a war between the forces of good and evil.

For America to survive its citizens must develop good character and integrity, the same qualities which the Lord would have His children cultivate and which just happen to be taught best at the family level. Is it any wonder those who wish to destroy America also want the Ten Commandments removed from public view, falsely claim that our Constitution has placed a wall of separation between religion and government or that prayer has no place in open society? The family unit stands in the way of total collapse of our nation and those who follow the Father of Lies, even Satan, know this.

I do not apologize for depending on my faith or the teachings of morality gained in my youth as my parents drilled these lessons into my stubborn spirit. I acknowledge my belief in God the Eternal Father and in His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer as having set aside this nation to be a beacon unto the world for all that is right and proper. I acknowledge the Constitution as the law of the land. It is not unreasonable to demand elected representatives confine their actions to those specifically outlined within that essential document.

Two hundred years ago the core beliefs shared by today’s Tea Party activists were dominant among a goodly portion of We the People. It is my hope that a strong majority of my fellow citizens continue to hold these truths to be self evident. I rest my case.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Sticks, Stones and Dehumanization - History Repeats

2011-08-05T12:06:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed the left’s marginalization of conservative values, more specifically folks who align themselves with the Tea Party movement? Glenn Beck touched on it during his radio show the other day; focusing on a disgusting name calling explosion which aired on MSNBC .

“Well Martin Bashir really went all out on this one. He brought a guest on who called Tea Party members aliens, cannibals, addicts and more – plus he said that if they don’t get their (…) what they want they will end up in a “Norway” situation!”

{…}

“Many of the Tea Party people, they are some of the most responsible among us. These are people that have paid taxes their whole life. They have run businesses their whole life. They have done the right thing. They have never broken the law. They have never taken a handout. They have paid charity. They have tried to be decent law abiding citizens. And now what they are saying is, we will pay the price as well. We understand. But it’s best for our country and our children’s freedom to do it. That’s a psychosis? That’s nirvana? No, nirvana, nirvana is some socialist communist utopia that never happens. It always ends, can I even say poorly or is that the understatement of the entire universe?” Glenn said.”

During the radio broadcast a history lesson was given, a reminder of a time, not too long ago, when an unpopular group of people were similarly branded as less than human; part of an agenda to have them eventually eradicated. Yes; the reference was to the Jews during the build up of public resentment and ridicule which marked the extermination of millions of people during the Holocaust.

People in high places are calling Tea Partiers a variety of names, none of them too flattering. From an article by Brian Faughnan , House Democrat Leaders: Tea Partiers Are Racist, Nazi, Gun Nuts, something the more than pliant news media is happy to broadcast steadily.

‘“This initiative is funded by the high end; we call it AstroTurf, it’s not really a grass-roots movement. It’s AstroTurf by some of the wealthiest people in America to keep the focus on tax cuts for the rich instead of for the great middle class,” Pelosi said.

Other House Democratic leaders took a different tack: One senior aide has been circulating a document to the media that debunks the effort as one driven by corporate lobbyists and attended by neo-Nazis...

In addition, the tea parties are “not really all about average citizens,” the document continues, saying neo-Nazis, militias, secessionists and racists are attending them. The tea parties are also not peaceful, since reporters in Cincinnati had to seek “police protection” during one of the events, it states.”

Nancy Pelosi, while speaking at Tufts University in Massachusetts back in April gave some advice to the “other side of the isle”; but if you read between the lines the information is more telling about the old guard Republicans than perhaps they would like us to know.

“To my Republican friends: take back your party. So that it doesn’t matter so much who wins the election, because we have shared values about the education of our children, the growth of our economy, how we defend our country, our security and civil liberties, how we respect our seniors.”

This is the same (old guard) Republican Party which advocated larger government through No Child Left Behind, the same (old guard) Republican Party that caved over the “debt ceiling crisis” and agreed to add to the national debt rather than act responsibly. They promised to cut spending, eventually; except the spending cuts would happen so far down the line as to be a pipe dream which only the dimmest of light bulbs might accept as plausible.

Pelosi wants everyone to know how dangerous the Tea Party movement is to the rest of us. Tea Partiers are to be blamed for nearly taking the country over the cliff, defaulting on our monthly payments to those who’ve been dumb enough to lend us several trillion dollars more than we could ever pay back in several life times; but we can at least put together enough to pay the interest due. Tea Partiers are to blame for Obama considering a hold on Social Security payments to our elderly. Tea Partiers are to blame for our troops not getting paid as well; but only if Obama decides not to pay them.

John Kerry is following the play book as well, speaking on August 4th , Tea Partiers are hostage takers with guns:

“There is a small group that has the ability in the last days to hold the entire country and our economy hostage and were willing to literally shoot the hostage,” said Senator Kerry.

The Democratic U.S Senator from Massachusetts slammed the tea party for equating compromise to a “form of treason” and bringing the country to the brink of default by blocking efforts in Washington to raise the federal debt ceiling “that would have guaranteed a financial crisis more severe than anything since the Great Depression.”’

In yet another assault on Tea Party members within the Republican Party, as reported by Jonathan Allen and John Bresnahan at the Politico :

“Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) called it a “Satan sandwich,” and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) called seemed to enjoy the heat analogy, saying: “the Tea Partiers and the GOP have made their slash and burn lunacy clear, and while I do not love this compromise, my vote is a hose to stop the burning. The arsonists must be stopped.”

It wouldn’t be fair to leave our Joe Bidden, Vice President and heir to the Presidency. Joe must not be taking his lithium; but it’s fun to listen when he babbles on, even if he denies having said it during the Democrat Caucus this past Monday.

“We have negotiated with terrorists,” an angry (Rep Mike) Doyle (D-Pa) said, according to sources in the room. “This small group of terrorists have made it impossible to spend any money.”

Biden, driven by his Democratic allies’ misgivings about the debt-limit deal, responded: “They have acted like terrorists.”

Do you see how this matches the template used by the propaganda machine in pre WWII Germany? The Jews were to blame for the poor economy, the Jews were to blame for unemployment, the Jews were to blame; get rid of the Jews and Germany will once again be able to stand proud.

Tea Partiers are to blame for all the ills of our broken nation. If only the Tea Partiers would shut up; better yet, go away! Isn’t that the message being sent?

“Sticks and stones may break my bones; but words can never harm me”; a particle of truth in the popular saying when we were in grade school. The cold hard fact of it, there’s a purpose behind attacking the Tea Party movement. The ideas of our founders must be eradicated from public discourse regardless of the methods used. Those who support constitutional restraints on government, responsible spending and a balanced budget must be marginalized and their influence on society removed in order for the statist Utopia promised by Hope and Change to come about.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

…is good for the gander

2011-08-02T10:21:00.002-05:00

I like colloquial sayings; used to have a picture with the most common phrases in the bathroom. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”, not one of my favorites; but you get the idea.

A line which wasn’t on the list; but easily could have been, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”. Who’d have guessed there would be an entire page on Google dedicated to explaining this ancient saying?

The only reason the subject came to mind was the recent debt ceiling crisis talks in Washington. Devin Dwyer, writing for ABC World News wrote an article explaining how Obama wants both sides to “pull off the band-aid”, something which is often quite painful.

“Obama has endorsed a “balanced approach” to deficit reduction that would trim close to $4 trillion over the next decade through a mix of spending cuts -- including changes to some entitlement programs -- and tax increases for wealthier Americans and corporations.”

The problem, at least the way I see it, has to do with what folks in Washington call a “balanced approach”. They show up at the public trough and fill their pockets while at the same time destroying the livelihood of the very people who pay those tax dollars and then tell us there isn’t enough money; we have to spend more money to get out of debt and increase taxes on the filthy rich. I’ve yet to figure out how spending more money we don’t have will…kind of like a short sheeted bed isn’t it?

Statistics are fun to play with because they have so many ways of being interpreted. Looking up the median income for working Americans proved more difficult than expected so the numbers included here are those shown are from a 2003 Wikipedia compilation . The figures listed can easily be projected to present day since, according to the information supplied; these numbers have not changed significantly in decades.

“While the median household income has increased 30% since 1990, it has increased only slightly when considering inflation. In 1990, the median household income was $30,056 or $44,603 in 2003 dollars. While personal income has remained relatively stagnant over the past few decades…” (Subliminal message to sheeple, ignore that word inflation, printing money is good, long term debt is healthy…)

Family income for 50% of American households ran between $45K and $47K. The next major bracket was for those making between $50K and $75K; only 18% of the total families. In other words roughly 70% of all America working families make less than $75K; this data does not take into account the recession which put unemployment over 9% after the Obama administration took charge of the economy.

When Obama said he wanted a “balanced approach” to fixing the budget nothing was mentioned about cutting payroll to the elite among us, our federal workers. An article by Dennis Cauchon in USA Today pointed out the fact that public sector jobs tend to pay almost 20% better than private sector jobs requiring the same job skills.

‘“The data flip the conventional wisdom on its head,” says Cato Institute budget analyst Chris Edwards, a critic of federal pay policy. “Federal workers make substantially more than private workers, not less, in addition to having a large advantage in benefits.”’

The real elite class, our elected representatives, make at least twice the median income of most Americans who are paying their salaries. We actually pay these folks to muck up the budget, to tell us we need to sacrifice more. Our president said we need to “pull off the band-aid” and suck it in. Well isn’t that special.

“The current salary (2011) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.” This does not even mention automatic pay raises and side benefits such as tax payer funded staffing which greatly increase the cost of government.

I have an idea; let’s take the federal budget down by 20% starting the first Monday of September, that’s Labor Day for those not looking at a calendar. All federal employees, regardless of position, longevity or pay grade will take an automatic 20% reduction. This won’t hurt nearly as much as being out of work like 9% of Americans unemployed during this recession; come on “rip off that band-aid”!

The EPA has gone out of its way to destroy the coal and petrochemical industry through draconian policies and the EPA is only one of many government bureaucracies. Not only are we paying elitist bureaucrats excessive salaries compared to the median income of most American families; their agenda would seem to run counter to helping the economy recover and I’ve said nothing about how they’ve trampled on individual liberties. Enough!

How about a substantial reduction in salaries paid to elected representatives? These folks are more than willing for average Americans to sacrifice in order to “right the ship”. Why should they be exempted; after all, “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”!

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

There is nothing like a DAME

2011-07-25T11:23:00.000-05:00

Stealing a line from the hit show, South Pacific, seemed like an appropriate way to start today’s article. Far from home in the middle of the war thousands of men reminded of the fact…

“…There are no books like a dame,
And nothin’ looks like a dame.
There are no drinks like a dame,
And nothin’ thinks like a dame,
Nothin’ acts like a dame,
Or attracts like a dame.
There ain’t a thing that's wrong with any man here
That can’t be cured by pullin’ him near
A girly, womanly, female, feminine dame!

But that’s not what the article is about; sorry to have led you down the garden path. This past weekend the Greater Houston Locksmith Association (GHLA) had Harry Sher down to teach an eight hour DAME class. DAME is the acronym for Defense Against Methods of Entry. The class covered areas of the industry which I seldom if ever venture into, my being an automotive specialist. I needed eight more hours before the end of August to keep my locksmith license up to date; don’t get me started on mandated continuing education .

Harry Sher’s been a locksmith since the 50’s and has forgotten more about locks than I’ll ever know; not that he’s forgotten much. His presentation was fast moving as he showed us how to defeat one lock system after another using sophisticated audio visual tools which were all linked to his laptop computer. Some of the tools looked like they’d fit in a James Bond movie, real “Holy Crap! You mean someone actually makes a tool that can do that?”, kind of stuff.

At the half way mark, when it was time to go for lunch, Harry wanted to make sure the building would be locked up; all that fancy equipment being left with nobody to watch over it. I turned to the locksmith sitting next to me and laughed out loud, “Yea, like that’s gonna’ stop anyone”; having observed Harry defeat every lock on display.

Here’s the message, don’t bother locking your door, file cabinet, safe deposit box or safe. If Harry wants in they won’t do any good. I watched him defeat a UL listed lock in 20 seconds; UL listing means it’s supposed to resist picking or manipulation for at least 15 minutes. As for the rest of us, regular everyday locksmiths it might take “a while” longer; but there isn’t a lock made that can’t be defeated.

Rest easy, the average thief hasn’t got the smarts to use the techniques Harry Sher referenced in his DAME class; for that matter, very few locksmiths could claim to be as proficient.

“There is nothin’ like a dame,
Nothin’ in the world,
There is nothin’ you can name
That is anythin’ like a dame!”

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

This will also appear as a feature article on Fiercely Independent Locksmiths of America’s website.

Entering Police State (for your own good)

2011-07-22T11:26:00.002-05:00

There’s a story out of New York by Taylor Hatmaker, Secret Service raids Apple store artist for snapping 1000 spy photos , that caught my attention the other day. The secondary title was a bit more accurate, “A young digital artist secretly recorded shoppers peering into computers at New York Apple stores”; too late, I was already looking for James Bond behind every iPad.

The article indicated Kyle McDonald asked for permission to install a computer program of his own design which would secretly take photographs of potential customers as they contemplated purchasing items at the store. McDonald collected the photographs to make a short artistic video which he posted on the internet; a video which is no longer available for viewing.

Who hit the alarm button, the one to alert Homeland Security, Secret Service, the CIA and MI-6 to save us from having our pictures taken in a public setting? “All units, unauthorized picture taking on 14th Street; seek and destroy. Call out the black ops helicopter and get Maxwell Smart out of retirement; the security of our civilized society is now at Defcom 3”. Somebody took photographs in New York City; oh my heavens, call out the guard!

“The stealthy undertaking resulted in the confiscation of McDonald’s two computers, his iPod, and some other storage devices, but it isn’t yet clear if the McDonald was actually in violation of any laws. While the Secret Service warrant cited 'computer fraud' as the cause for the raid…”

Did you catch that, “it isn’t yet clear if the McDonald was actually in violation of any laws”? The “state” always knows best so it must be for our own good.

I’m sure the Patriot Act extension signed by Obama covers a wide range of terrorist activity via its ambiguous wording, enough for an unnamed federal judge to sign a warrant giving the Secret Service authorization to seize “McDonald’s two computers, his iPod, and some other storage devices”.

So, exactly what laws were violated; please be specific. We the People want to know the definition of “for our own good”. Not too long ago Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said she stands by the report, which lists returning veterans among terrorist risks to the U.S. .

Without the rule of law our foundation cracks and falls apart. If our individual liberties are at the whim of whomever is in power then our nation is doomed; for what is liberty without a clear understanding of private property rights?

“If the declaration of independence is not obligatory, our intire political fabrick has lost its magna charta, and is without any solid foundation. But if it is the basis of our form of government, it is the true expositor of the principles and terms we have adopted.” (John Taylor 1823)

Where is the line drawn in the sand, the one which identifies tourist activity from terrorist activity? Shouldn’t reason and common sense be used to determine criminal intent or has common sense been thrown out and Zero Tolerance taken its place?

If someone takes pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge while on a trip to New York could they be arrested for planning its demise based merely on the image stored on the camera’s memory card? What if they took pictures of some of the characters seen at Wal-Mart ; not that anyone could be embarrassed with a few “candid camera” shots there.

Glenn Harlan Reynolds wrote an article which explained, “Taking Photos In Public Places Is Not a Crime” , giving generally accepted rules which apply regardless of the fact that too many officials think otherwise.

“Legally, it’s pretty much always okay to take photos in a public place as long as you’re not physically interfering with traffic or police operations. As Bert Krages, an attorney who specializes in photography-related legal problems and wrote Legal Handbook for Photographers, says, “The general rule is that if something is in a public place, you’re entitled to photograph it.” What’s more, though national-security laws are often invoked when quashing photographers, Krages explains that “the Patriot Act does not restrict photography; neither does the Homeland Security Act.” But this doesn’t stop people from interfering with photographers, even in settings that don’t seem much like national-security zones.”

I ask once more, getting back to the original article that got my blood pressure up a notch, where in our laws is it written that the Secret Service can confiscate McDonald’s personal property simply for taking pictures of folks shopping for a computer? Exactly what laws were violated; please be specific? I know; it must be for our own good.

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” -C.S. Lewis

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

"X" Marks the Spot

2011-07-19T13:35:00.001-05:00

When I was growing up, not that the process was ever completed, we had a Hobo’s “X” marked on our front door. You couldn’t see it; but all the same it was there. Stray animals wandering the neighborhood would recognize the mark and know they were welcome to stop in for a meal and safe lodgings for as long as needed. Some of them became members of our extended family.

One time there was a lonely “hound mix” waiting for us to open the front door. He looked like he was on his last leg so my parents invited him in for a meal and a bowl of water. He didn’t venture very far into the house; content to be in out of the elements, he stayed in the entry way.

At the time we already had two pets, a large rust colored dog named Gritz and a feisty old grey cat, Topsey. Gritz was easy going and saw no problem letting the stranger in; Topsey, on the other paw, drew an imaginary line on the floor letting the interloper know he was on thin ice.

This was the Sixties and a popular television show in our house was Bonanza. One of the episodes had a hound sleeping on the porch of a back woods friend. Now and then the hound would move in its sleep. The dog shook its head when a fly landed on its ear and the owner remarked, “Walter’s getting excited”, as the dog went back to his slumbers.

We observed the “energy challenged” dog in our entry way the rest of the evening. The hound was so tired he fell asleep while leaning against the wall; his loose fitting frame sliding slowly down the wall and into a heap on the floor. We knew right away; his name must be Walter.

When it was time for bed it was decided the dog was to stay inside, something which everyone except Topsey thought was a good idea. Later in the night we awoke to the hound’s plea for help. Topsey had taken it upon herself to corner Walter and chastise him for trespassing.

Walter was indeed cornered; Topsey had a low growling threat escaping her mouth as her ears fixated on the cowering dog in the corner. Every now and then Walter would look to the heavens and let go with a mournful howl as if it were his last breath on this earth. Topsey would have been satisfied with that; but Walter was saved from eminent destruction that day and eventually become part of the family.

Walter wasn’t the sharpest pencil in the box and never figured out Topsey hadn’t signed the family contract adopting him. Topsey would set traps for Walter from time to time and enjoyed taking a piece of Walter’s nose when the poor dolt would fall into those traps.

Topsey would lie upside down on the floor pretending to be asleep. Walter would study the situation for a while and cautiously approach to see if she was in deed asleep. He would inch closer and observe no discernable movement until he was directly over her. At precisely the right moment Topsey’s front paws would surround Walter’s nose, claws extended, as she’d bite him. There would be a yelp as Walter retreated and a quite moment of satisfaction from Topsey as she marked her score card. Walter never learned from experience and fell for the ploy numerous times.

That was then and this is now, isn’t that how the line goes. The Hobo’s X that was on my parent’s home somehow managed to find my own home regardless of where we’ve lived. In reality, that Hobo’s X isn’t on the house, at least not the structure; it’s on our hearts. These wandering creatures are able to see into our hearts and recognize a gentle spirit, one who will graciously offer a meal or safe haven without expecting much, if anything in return.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Looking for an Old Photograph

2011-07-05T19:04:00.001-05:00

(This story was posted previously; however, when I tried to link with it "the powers that be" had placed a blocker on it; claimed it had offensive material and/or spam, it does not contain anything offensive. I've removed any and all links to it; hopefully that clears off the block.)

Looking for an Old Photograph

I spent the morning looking for an old photograph. I wanted to find a group picture of my 1976 Point Control softball team to send off to an old friend. We would play in his backyard, tossing a worn out baseball for hours on end; pretending we were at Yankee Stadium. Forty years later we are comparing notes and catching up with each other.

I went through stacks of old pictures; finding all kinds of vacation shots in the mountains, our kids in various stages of growing up, cars we had owned (or had owned us); everything except the team picture. I found some photos from when my dad and I flew up to Chicago to take in a game, the Cubs at Wrigley Field, close but no cigar.

I rummaged through my desk, a study in creative disorder. I found my first rough draft for Chapter One of “Pecaw’s Gift”, a novel length work that I tried to get published. To save money I’d printed it on the back of my locksmith company letterhead; might as well since it had our old address. I wonder where I put the rest of that manuscript.

Maybe I could scan a copy of the plaque given to us for sponsoring my son, William’s, baseball team. They came in second place that year and each boy earned a trophy. Trophies are an important part of growing up. I still have the trophy from my Little League days. Thinking back, every kid who put on a team shirt got some kind of trophy just for being a member of the team, any team. It didn’t matter if they ever won a game, you got a trophy to put on the fireplace mantle. That trophy was a solid piece of evidence that you existed on this Earth. In time, at least in the back of your mind, that first trophy would be the start of many worldly awards; Rookie of the Year, National League MVP, two or three World Series rings, and the dreams roll on.

I played high school ball long enough to figure out that my chances of getting to the next level were slim to none. I did get my “letter sweater” and it hangs in the closet next to a light blue shirt with four hash marks on the left sleeve; the shirt I wore when I retired from the police department. Some trophies never make the fireplace; they hang in the closet.

I imagine that some time later in the day I may stumble over that team picture I was hunting for. It would be nice to have a look at some of the faces, young police officers taking a few moments in the middle of the night to play softball together. It was the “midnight league”, at least that’s what we called it. We all worked the evening shift and would get off duty around ten or eleven. The teams were made from various divisions within the police department. Ours was Point Control, the guys who directed traffic during rush hour, later to become Special Operations,. We came in third place that year; gave that trophy to our division commander to show off in the office. Point Control didn’t have too many trophies. There was the Safety Award Plaque that hung on the wall; the one that accidentally got nicked by a stray bullet, but that’s a whole other story.

I’ll keep looking for the picture; it’s become a challenge now. I did find a picture taken the day Lucy and I got married. We’d only been married a few minutes as we confidently marched back up the isle; my arm crooked around hers. I have to admit, that picture grabs my interest even more than the Point Control team photo. Trophies come in various shapes and sizes, this one still holds my hand on our Saturday night date.

Journal Entry July 1st 1776

2011-07-04T11:38:00.001-05:00

This past week has been very difficult. As mentioned in previous journal entries, many of our neighbors have been forced to house British troops. We all have had to turn over much of our food stores to maintain the troops. If these insults were not sufficient to get my blood running hot, these Red Coats are going house to house in our small village confiscating anything which resembles a weapon, tools we use to gather fresh game as well as fend off those who would do us harm.

Just yesterday Lucy was forced to stand patiently at the front door to our humble quarters while Red Coats searched every nook and cranny for weapons. Fortunately they didn’t search under her overly long dress where they would have found four muskets; thank heavens for quick thinking. All our gun powder and shot has been carefully hidden away under the floor; but first thing tomorrow it will be taken to a more secure location in the thicket.

A small group met at the local pub last night after normal business hours. With the doors locked and lamps turned down low we heard rumors out of Philadelphia that armed conflict is inevitable. Cousin Richard Henry Lee has been attending those meetings, representing our interests and has assured us that every peaceable measure has been attempted up to date. According to Richard the only avenue left to the colonies is to declare our independence from British rule and the King. I fear our hardships have only begun.

Unfortunately, and perhaps to be expected, a few hot heads have taken to violence such as tossing stones at passing British troops. On Friday one soldier got bloodied and had his head bandaged after a volley of moderately sized rocks cascaded from behind a large stand of trees. As yet there have been no arrests; yet we all are considered suspect by the manner in which we are searched without cause upon entering the public square or simply walking among them.

Pastor Williams has asked the entire congregation to fast this Sunday and asked us to pour out our hearts to our Lord’s that we might have His Holy Spirit help in finding His will in these matters. May our actions be compatible with the expectations of our Savior or may He grant us forgiveness in our errors.

(This is a fictional account created as a measure of respect for those who placed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor on the line in order to secure us our independence)

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

If you don’t know where you came from…

2011-07-01T11:24:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard the expression, “If you don’t know where you came from how can you know where you’re going?” This weekend many of us celebrate our Independence Day. I say many of us; but there’s a significant portion which doesn’t share the pride swelling inside as an American Flag is paraded down Main Street according to some Harvard professors. Why is that?

‘“The political right has been more successful in appropriating American patriotism and its symbols during the 20th century. Survey evidence also confirms that Republicans consider themselves more patriotic than Democrats. According to this interpretation, there is a political congruence between the patriotism promoted on Fourth of July and the values associated with the Republican party. Fourth of July celebrations in Republican dominated counties may thus be more politically biased events that socialize children into Republicans,” write Harvard Kennedy School Assistant Professor David Yanagizawa-Drott and Bocconi University Assistant Professor Andreas Madestam.”

Maybe folks would have a better understanding of America if they took the time to figure out where we came from. When you ask important questions interesting things happen.

Take for example the children’s song, I Am A Child of God , consider the message and compare it with what the Scriptures tell us; the answer is the same. We are children of our Heavenly Father, that same Being referred to in the Declaration of Independence as the Creator.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27

I keep forgetting, this requires a leap of faith, something quite alien to statists. There’s a line drawn in the sand, so to speak, dividing intellectuals from Creationist loonies. Many demean and ridicule people of faith as if religion was a crutch for the weak minded; a ploy used by the Father of Lies from the beginning of time.

Intellectuals don’t mind hiding behind God given inalienable right to express themselves at every turn. Of course they’d have us believe these are “natural rights”, something which government identified and handed out like pop sickles rather than acknowledge their true source. In fact they’ve embellished on the original right to freedom of speech considerably which now includes profanity, pornography and almost any conceivable abomination which springs from the mind, mouth or hand of man. Never mind the Commandments of God; we are free to act any damn way we please.

Progressive minded folks are comfortable with Einstein’s mathematics and theories regarding complex relationships on time, space, gravitational interaction and physics. If you looked up “Relativity” on the internet there are many listings, the easiest to understand is found here .

“Einstein stated that the theory of relativity belongs to the class of “principle-theories”. As such it employs an analytic method. This means that the elements which comprise this theory are not based on hypothesis but on empirical discovery. The empirical discovery leads to understanding the general characteristics of natural processes. Mathematical models are then developed which separate the natural processes into theoretical-mathematical descriptions. Therefore, by analytical means the necessary conditions that have to be satisfied are deduced. Separate events must satisfy these conditions. Experience should then match the conclusions.”

Before Einstein took his first breath the same all encompassing parameters had already been recorded; not in scientific terminology, plain ordinary English. God’s laws are comprehensive, binding and eternal; they include mathematics, physics, particle theory as well as how His children should behave while in mortality.

“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated — And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” Doctrine and Covenants 130:20,21

John Adams, one of our finest minds wrote: (No doubt, Adams was a hard core right winger)

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Follow that train of thought and you’ll find George Washington’s famous quote: (What a crack pot, no doubt he had a few screws loose. He was a Free Mason; and we all know they were up to no good, a bunch of right wingers if ever there was…)

“Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Call me a right winger, one of those “tea partiers” who’ve sipped one too many. I snap to attention at the playing of our National Anthem and when I see the Stars and Stripes go by I stand, salute and revere what it stands for. Our Pledge of Allegiance includes the words, “one nation under God”. All that “extreme” right wing brain washing from the GOP must have found a weak spot.

Our athletes standing on the podium during Olympics give us a chance to appreciate a land so vast and full of accomplishments; my mind reflects on Francis Scott Keys historical tale which had our nation come out on top against incredible odds.

If successive generations fails to recognize the importance of these lessons then the shame be upon us for not doing our duty as citizens, parents and children of our Father in Heaven. My heart swells with pride and tears run down my cheeks when Katharine Lee Bates’ America the Beautiful is sung.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!

America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!

America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

I refuse to take a step backwards and apologize for showing my patriotism, to shy away from feelings which are stirred within my chest this time of year. Those who fail to recognize the importance of knowing where we came from are empty shells living on borrowed, even stolen hope. Can those who lack the ability to understand and implement these foundational concepts expect to lead our nation toward a bright and shinning future?

Americans must recognize the Author of Liberty and gratefully acknowledge His hand as we celebrate our Independence Day. In case you haven’t figured it out, I know where I came from and I know where I’m going!

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Progressive’s Perfect Storm Against God

2011-06-29T21:17:00.000-05:00

You may recall a movie made not too long ago, The Perfect Storm, in which weather systems combined making for a devastating mix. We are witnessing the makings of a different kind of “perfect storm”, one brought about by years of pain staking efforts by progressives; call them what you will, these folks are the antithesis of the American spirit and they seek to destroy our very foundations.

One small cluster of storms is centered around the Pledge of Allegiance. The words, “one nation under God” really bother progressives. Numerous law suits have been brought to bear in order to protect one or two socially ravaged children from being tortured by these words, words which, according to some, violate the separation of church and state.

Most recently NBC fell under the fire for cutting ‘one nation under God’ during the US Open telecast .

“Shortly after the piece aired, NBC Sports host Dan Hicks apologized for the cut.”

‘“We began our coverage of this final round just about three hours ago and when we did it was our intent to begin the coverage of this U.S. Open Championship with a feature that captured the patriotism of our national championship being held in our nation's capital for the third time,” Hicks said. “Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you who were offended by it.”’

Then there was the speech by Obama at Georgetown University ; surely you remember the black cloth covering religious symbols (… and don’t call me Shirley).

“The White House asked Georgetown to cover a monogram symbolizing Jesus’ name in Gaston Hall, which Obama used for his speech, according to CNSNews.com.”

At the time the news media gave Obama a free pass and chalked it off as general policy, “The White House wanted a simple backdrop of flags and pipe and drape for the speech, consistent with what they've done for other policy speeches…”; however after a series of similar issues a trend begins to show.

Is it news worthy to report Obama omitted any reference to our Creator when quoting from the Declaration of Independence, not just on one occasion; but a couple of times?

“When the president spoke to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s Annual Awards Gala on Sept. 15, many speculated he had inadvertently left out the word “Creator” when loosely quoting from the Declaration of Independence. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” Obama said at that event, “that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That’s what makes us unique.”’

Then again, during the Sept. 22 fundraiser at New York’s Roosevelt Hotel, President Obama told the audience:

“[I]f we stay true to our values, if we believe that all people are created equal and everybody is endowed with certain inalienable rights and we’re going to make those words live, and we’re going to give everybody opportunity, everybody a ladder into the middle class, every child able to go as far as their dreams will take them — if we stay true to that, then we’re going to be able to maintain the energy and the focus, the fight, the gumption to get stuff done.”’

If you take that statement by Obama for a “ride”, it might be inferred that “we’re going to give everybody opportunity”, translated into progressive double speak; means government, not God is where these opportunities come from. You see, everybody already has the opportunity, those inalienable God given rights which the progressives so desperately want to blur into oblivion.

You might recall how the Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston asked Rev. Scott Rainey to offer the invocation at the Houston National Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend along with the stipulation his prayer be subjected to approval and editing .

“Rainey was instructed by the cemetery to submit his prayer for review a month ago. Cemetery director Arleen Ocasio then emailed Rainey on May 19, informing the pastor that the prayer was still in need of editing.”

That brings us to current events; Arleen Ocasio is in the news again. It has become the position of Department of Veterans Affairs to ban any mention of God, Jesus Christ or Christianity on National Cemetery grounds.

“…director Arlene Ocasio has stated the National Memorial Ladies cannot tell families ‘God Bless,’ they cannot communicate in writing or orally…” It would seem Arlene Ocasio, representing the United States government by virtue of her position has declared religious expression off limits; so much for our inalienable God given rights.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

There are many who would like to see any mention of God, Jesus or Christianity banned; preferring to interpret the 1st Amendment to be freedom from ever having to hear about religion rather than an individual’s right to express his/her beliefs without interference from government. Progressive tolerance means “as long as your expression fits with our philosophy” and there is no room in the progressive agenda for our Creator, Jesus Christ or Christian principles which include God given inalienable rights.

Know this; in order for the progressive Utopia to be fully installed all links to the past must be obliterated. In the near future there can be no reference to God given inalienable rights because progressives must be in control of all entitlements. The constitution and Bill of Rights has to be destroyed for all practical purposes.

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.” (Gerald Ford - joint session of Congress on August 12, 1974)

According to Charles W. Nibley , (Conference Report, October 1923, p. 62):

“… the prophet Joseph Smith said the time will come when, through secret organizations taking the law into their own hands, not being governed by law or by due process of law, but becoming a law unto themselves, when, by those disintegrating activities, the Constitution of the United States would be so torn and rent asunder, and life and property and peace and security would be held of so little value, that the Constitution would, as it were, hang by a thread…”

It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to see as a nation we have strayed from the safety of our constitutional form of government, a government designed to answer to “We the People”. Consider, if you will, as we approach our Independence Day, a paragraph from our founding document:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security…”

Combine the events listed here and then include the many “presidential executive orders” which skirt legislative efforts, orders which transform our constitutional republic into a repressive totalitarian régime. It doesn’t take much imagination to comprehend the width and breadth of this perfect storm, a progressive’s perfect storm aimed at the heart of this nation and all that we hold sacred.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Texas Locksmith License Renewal Requirements

2011-06-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

June 21, 2011

Texas Department of Public Safety

Private Security Board

6100 Guadalupe, Building E

Criminal Law Enforcement Building

Austin, Texas 78752

Subject: Locksmith License Renewal Requirements

An Open Letter to those involved in the locksmith industry

Honorable John E. Chism, Honorable Howard H. Johnsen, Honorable Mark L. Smith, Honorable Albert L. Black, Honorable Charles E. Crenshaw, Honorable Brian England, Honorable Doris F. Washington

Hopefully you will appreciate the efforts within this correspondence, efforts to contain my contempt for most everything done by the DPS/PSB; well intentioned attempts to “safeguard” society from unscrupulous or improperly equipped locksmiths. In the past letters sent to the DPS/PSB have gone unanswered; almost as if the concerns of an individual locksmith had little if any importance or weight in formulating rules and regulations which govern the locksmith industry.

“Most of the major ills of the world have been caused by well meaning people who ignored the principle of individual freedom, except as applied to themselves, and who were obsessed with fanatical zeal to improve the lot of mankind-in-the-mass through some pet formula of their own…the harm done by ordinary criminals, murderers, gangsters, and thieves is negligible in comparison with the agony inflicted upon human beings by the professional ‘do-gooders,’ who attempt to set themselves up as gods on earth and who would ruthlessly force their views on all others.” (Henry Grady Weaver, The Mainspring of Human Progress pg 40-41)

My locksmith license (B12254) comes up for renewal in September, a license which is mandated by the State of Texas in order to do business in what used to be a free market system. Licensing will remain, water under the bridge; the legislature determined licenses were needed to safe guard the citizenry from unscrupulous or improperly equipped locksmiths. They left the nuts and bolts of how to implement that legislation to the DPS/PSB; the term for such transfers of power actually has a name, the Intelligible Principle .

According to a Supreme Court ruling made by Chief Justice John Marshall many years ago such shifting of authority is constitutional under certain guidelines which have become blurred to the point of irrelevance.

“Marshall explained: If Congress delegates quasi-legislative powers to another body, it must provide a “general provision” by which “those who act” can “fill up the details.” In other words, Congress cannot give an outside agency a free hand to make law, but it can authorize the agency to flesh out the particulars of a law Congress has already shaped.”

{…}

“Not surprisingly, with such open-ended authority, the power and discretion of agencies expanded rapidly. In recent years, the Court has refused to limit agency power whenever the statute is silent or ambiguous on delegation and the agency’s regulations are based on a “permissible” interpretation of the statute. In practice, the vast majority of regulations are now deemed permissible.”

This does not erase the issue of government having usurped authority in the Utopian desire to protect the general citizenry at the expense of individual constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is not the purpose of government to sacrifice individual God given rights in the name of public safety; to do so turns individual citizens into subjects of the state.

Members of the DPS/PSB are charged with coming up with rules and regulations for the security industry. Locksmiths by virtue of carefully worded language are included; their every activity defined. Locksmiths were conscripted; forced to abandon what had been a free market system. Acknowledging duties which are assigned to the board, I must remind you all that government here in America answers to the people; not the other way around.

“Each of us has a natural right – from God – to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two. For what are our faculties but the extension of our individuality? And what is property but and extension of our faculties?" (Frederic Bastiat, The Law, p.6) (emphasis added)

“Since God created man with certain unalienable rights, and man, in turn, created government to help secure and safeguard those rights, it follows that man is superior to the creature which he created. Man is superior to government and should remain master over it, not the other way around. Even the non-believer can appreciate the logic of this relationship.” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Proper Role of Government)

Benson added:

“The important thing to keep in mind is that the people who have created their government can give to that government only such powers as they, themselves, have in the first place. Obviously, they cannot give that which they do not possess. So, the question boils down to this. What powers properly belong to each and every person in the absence of and prior to the establishment of any organized governmental form?”

The State of Texas, or any other state in America has no powers except those granted by its citizenry; this is at the very heart of today’s correspondence with you, the DPS/PSB. You each have the responsibility to carefully consider the consequences of each and every rule or regulation imposed on individual members of the locksmith industry or the security industry as a whole.

According to the rules and regulations mandated by the DPS/PSB each licensed locksmith must re-qualify via continuing education credits in order to maintain the ability to work in his/her chosen field. By licensed locksmith I’m referring only to individuals who have already presented themselves before the State of Texas, provided sufficient proof of integrity or standing in the community, passed criminal background checks and have a track record of serving the public in a professional manner.

The rules are all encompassing and do not take into consideration a number of pertinent factors. These rules presume that all locksmiths are interested in addressing a wide range of security related fields or that each locksmith intends to move forward and expand upon his/her skills in order to stay current with changes in the industry. By writing mandates around such presumptive goals the DPS/PSB has marginalized a portion of legitimate locksmiths.

At one time I was a general purpose locksmith; involved in safe installation, putting in dead bolts, rekeying residential structures, master keying industrial structures and picking up automotive locksmith work too. Over the years I found I had little desire to work on anything other than automotive locks and refer customers to other qualified locksmiths when they desire work on anything other than automotive.

Does this in any way diminish my being a qualified locksmith? The answer is no; but when looking for continuing education credit courses the list is insulting at best. I can pay $150.00 to take an 8 hour “hands on” class offered by one of my competitors through the Greater Houston Locksmith Association where I’m a member in good standing. It would cost me one day of work in my own business. The State authorized instructor, Stacy Hetchler is a great automotive locksmith; but it’s insulting for the State of Texas to have a journeyman locksmith take basic automotive classes simply to meet the mandates of the DPS/PSB.

I did notice some classes offered by Elite On Line services, “Automotive Key Generation – Ford Vehicles”, “Automotive Key Generation GM Vehicles (1- 8)” and “Tips and Tricks for Automotive Locksmithing (1 – 5)”. Here’s the course outline for the Ford class which would give me 2 credit hours to my now mandated 16 hours.

“This is the first in Elite CEU’s Automotive Key Generation series. This two hour video course focuses solely on Ford automobiles for the benefit of all technicians, salespeople, and managers within the security and low voltage industry, but is especially geared for those in the locksmith industry. By addressing the specifics of key and security issues with Ford vehicles we will cover valuable ways to becoming more proficient and profitable with the car locksmith and security business. Real-world examples will be demonstrated which will allow you to see firsthand the do’s and don’ts in how to deal with Ford vehicles.”

Pardon my saying so; but I’ve been an automotive locksmith specialist for the past 35 years and either I’ve learned how to do it by now or never will. I make keys for a variety of cars; some which require transponder technology, others which might be considered antiques by today’s standards. I don’t wish to work on certain vehicles, either I didn’t invest in the expensive transponder program for that vehicle or otherwise have no inclination; those vehicles I refer to other qualified locksmiths. The State of Texas has no business dictating what avenues of locksmith work I need to “brush up on” or expand my level of proficiency, such issues are strictly between the locksmith and the customer.

There is no consideration in the rules and regulations for experience gained over a lifetime. It must be the assumption of the DPS/PSB that locksmiths have little if any ability to remember from year to year the tricks of the trade, all those tasks which he/she use on a daily basis. Why else would there be an all encompassing mandate for basic skills, continuing education courses which do nothing other than add to the cost of doing business.

An argument has been presented that “professional” locksmiths would want to constantly improve their skills in order to provide the highest level of service to the community; a fine suggestion, a repressive mandate. Do you on the board see the difference between a suggestion and a mandate?

In my particular business I carefully weigh the benefits of purchasing expensive automotive key program updates against the likelihood of getting my investment back. Why learn to work on a vehicle that you might see only once or twice a year? On some cars the best answer is, “That’s a dealer only item”; which means I don’t know other locksmiths dumb enough to open that can of worms either.

The public has been offered an empty promise of “security” by virtue of locksmiths having a State issued license along with mandated continuing education; however it is reprehensible for the state to restrict legitimate business or free trade by imposing Lilliputian standards on an individual’s constitutional rights. It is one thing for a trade organization to impose minimum requirements for membership; yet another for the state to limit an individual’s ability to earn a living.

Not too long ago (about a year) the President of the Texas Locksmith Association stood before the board and suggested the DPS/PSB increase the number of mandatory continuing education credit hours from 8 to 16; that suggestion was turned into a mandate. I sent a letter to the board expressing my opinion; a letter which either never was read or not considered important enough to reply to.

I respect other locksmith’s desire to improve the public’s perception of the industry. If the President of the Texas Locksmith Association wishes to require additional standards for membership in that organization so be it; however, as an independent business owner/operator in the locksmith business his opinion is left at the door upon entering my business as is the State of Texas DPS/PSB. My skills and services are the sole concern of my customers; not my competitors and certainly not the State of Texas.

At the risk of being redundant, Ezra Taft Benson pin pointed the argument best:

“The important thing to keep in mind is that the people who have created their government can give to that government only such powers as they, themselves, have in the first place. Obviously, they cannot give that which they do not possess. So, the question boils down to this. What powers properly belong to each and every person in the absence of and prior to the establishment of any organized governmental form?”

The DPS/PSB does not have any inherent powers, only those powers which have been given the board by the citizenry. The DPS/PSB may not over ride individual inalienable rights through the “will of the people” as expressed by a majority or any appointed representative of a recognized professional organization, regardless of their numbers.

Simply put, if the President of the Texas Locksmith Association knocked on my door and demanded I start using Brand X, take a refresher course in master keying or began measuring the size of letters and numbers at my shop I’d laugh at him just prior to throwing him out into the gutter. He is free to run his locksmith business any way he likes or even require members in TLA to follow his guidelines; past that he has no authority or power.

In our carefully structured society, a society dependent on the rule of law and individual protections afforded under our constitutional government, individuals, not government agencies determine the daily conduct of commerce.

In closing I’ll leave you with one more quote from Bastiat, a more civilized string of words than I was tempted to address the DPS/PSB; but quite to the point.

“Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough.” From Frederic Bastiat’s, “The Law.” We need more of his righteous indignation at the socialistic egotists who want to rule us all.”

T. F. Stern
T. F. Stern & Company
15707 Autumnbrook Drive
Houston, Texas 77068

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

This will also appear as a feature article on Fiercely Independent Locksmiths of America’s website.

Bowl a Hundred, Dad!

2011-06-18T14:15:00.000-05:00

Call me one of the lucky ones, I’m still able to pick up a telephone and call my Dad; but I do have to speak very loud for him to hear. Mostly I talk to him via Mom; saves a lot of yelling back and forth so we keep it simple. I tell him, “Bowl a hundred” if he’s on the way to the bowling alley to be with his buddies; my way of saying “I love you, Dad”.
The picture which accompanies this article was taken around the holidays; can’t remember for sure; but it was either Thanksgiving or New Year’s Day because there were football games on the television.

Dad and Bonnie were enjoying the afternoon as he told the story of Jack and the Bean Stalk as the two of them rocked in the chair together. There were some slight changes to the story line; I recall hearing Dad explain that it was, “1st and goal on the seven yard line as Jack went up to meet the giant”.

During the middle of the story the old rocking chair, one which had been around since I was a little boy; that old chair gave up the ghost. Dad and Bonnie crashed to the floor; no injuries other than the chair was a total loss.

I have a long list of “Dad” stories from over the years, Dad waving at the ambulance driver, the broken front seat in his car, bread sticks at the restaurant, recovering my lost shoe at the train depot; too many interesting stories so I’ll only share one more.

Dad had fallen asleep in his favorite chair while the rest of us finished watching a movie one Saturday evening. His internal alarm clock reminded him it was time to secure the house for the night as he wandered to the front door and bolted it, on to the side door and ending up at the sliding glass door at the back of the living room.

He latched the door and then fumbled around for the pull cords to shut the drapes; his first pull only managed to get them half way closed. In his sleep he reached for the cord only to grab hold of the wrong one; the drapes being returned to their fully opened position. Each time he reached in to grab the cord his efforts were frustrated; the drapes now dancing back and forth as the veins in his neck began to swell.

“Dick! What in the hell are you doing?” Mom had a way with words as she addressed the love of her life. Dad, eyes still closed, took a deep breath as he carefully considered his reply; not wishing to hurt the love of his life with a harsh answer.

“I’m practicing!” That’s my Dad; always looking out for what’s best for his family. For some reason my eyes just swelled with tears; must be allergy season, that’s it. “Bowl a hundred, Dad!”

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Conversation with my granddaughter

2011-06-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

Jocelyne called a while ago wanting to talk to “Memaw”. They were catching up on things and Lucy told her all about finding yet another Mama Hobo Kitty living in our garage and that we now had new baby kittens to look after. The idea of having different Hobo Kitties, that is, other than the group we already had living in our garage caused her to wonder about things. The topic changed slightly as she thought about one of her favorite Hobo Kitties, Head Buttr’; the one who’d let Jocelyne pet her.

My granddaughter asked, “How come Head Buttr’ didn’t look both ways before trying to cross the street and getting hit by a car?” Lucy said it would be hard to say since Head Buttr’ was dead couldn’t tell us now.

“Well you could write her a letter and put it on the marker where she’s buried. Then Head Buttr’ could read the letter and tell you why she didn’t look both ways.”

Jocelyne told us a “secret”; she’d been given a complimentary Tracy Drywall pen of her very own. She could now write and draw with her own pen. Lucy and Jocelyne talked about next time she was over they could read a book together. Having a conversation with a 5 year old, almost 6, is a worthwhile event; takes your mind off of other pressing issues.

Need a set of lungs, make that to go…

2011-06-14T16:37:00.001-05:00

Life has a way of imitating fiction from time to time. There’s a story by Jessica Ryen Doyle on the Fox News website out of Belgium that should make your skin crawl, Doctors euthanizing patients to obtain transplant organs .

‘“Given that half of all euthanasia cases in Belgium are involuntary, it must be only a matter of time before the organs are taken from patients who are euthanized without their consent,” Saunders told The Telegraph. “The matter of fact way the retrieval process is described in the paper is particularly chilling and shows the degree of collaboration that is necessary between the euthanasia team and the transplant surgeons – prep them for theater next to the operating room, then kill them and wheel them in for organ retrieval. All in a day’s work in Brave New Belgium. Doctors there are now doing things that most doctors in other countries would find absolutely horrific.”’

Did you catch that, “half of all euthanasia cases in Belgium are involuntary”; guess that explains how socialized medicine has been able to keep up with demand. If you get sick while on vacation in Belgium wait until you get home or those pictures you took might be your last.

This might be a good time to plug a short story I wrote many years ago, The Organ Donor Program . The idea of paying retirees for non-productive time set the stage for a rather unpleasant solution, one which saved share holders a considerable sum while at the same time providing much needed organs to those on waiting lists.

Here in America we should reconsider whether or not socialized medicine and Obamacare might lead to similar compromised doctor - patient loyalty issues. You think HMO’s are cold and heartless now; just wait until single payer health care kicks into gear. I can hear them calling out from operating room four as the folks in room three stand by with their newly recruited volunteer, “I need a set of lungs; make that to go!”

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Justice System Lottery

2011-06-08T11:13:00.001-05:00

In the never ending game of Justice System Lottery taxpayers in Harris County, Texas will be coughing up $3 million dollars after an appeals court upheld Shirley Nagel’s wrongful death case against Harris County in 2009. Nagel originally called police when her 52 year old son, Joel Don Casey, stopped taking his medication and became violent. “Deputies Tasered him 18 times and his hands and feet were bound.”

“The medical examiner said Casey died from psychotic delirium and heart disease that was impacted during the restraint.”

A couple of thoughts came to mind; his mother knew her son needed treatment, why’d she call the police instead of an ambulance? There must have been some kind of violence, either actual or threatened for her to summon police. She was afraid of her own son and thought it reasonable and prudent to have him removed.

If it was reasonable and prudent for her to be afraid then why wouldn’t it be just as reasonable and prudent for officers upon being confronted with a violent psychotic man to use necessary force to halt the violence? Would they have been justified in taking his life or had they done what they could to keep from using lethal force?

I read another account of this incident written by Leticia Juarez which added an interesting consideration:

“When asked on the stand what he would do differently, Deputy Gehring said he “would do it the same.”’

{…}

‘“Very unfortunate, but they were just trying to do their job,” Harris County Attorney Frank Sanders said.”

Having been a patrol officer and worked the street, too many times we confronted similar violent individuals. It took several officers to take them down and literally “hog tie” them to keep them from kicking or biting. Let me tell you, that’s about as dangerous as police work gets because some of these folks are drugged up, feel no pain and keep on coming at you.

I have to wonder, if confronted by a violent psychotic would Deputy Gehring really do it the same all over again? Even if he followed the Department’s Standard Operating Procedure Manual to the letter, it would only be natural to pause, even if for half a moment to consider the death of Joel Don Casey and wrongful death lawsuit which followed.

In that half moment, where a sliver of doubt might exist is where added danger lurks for police officers and the public. Instead of acting swiftly to contain a violent individual with less than deadly force, Tasers most times are not fatal and usually have no long lasting effects; a delay of action could bring about disaster for officers and/or the public.

Our thanks to Shirley Nagel and her attorney for helping create a sliver of doubt which one day will creep into some officer’s mind at that moment when he/she is carefully determining how to best survive a dangerous situation. I have all the compassion in the world for her loss; however, according to all accounts her son was clearly violent and there was no way of knowing the outcome.

This is our Justice System Lottery, for those who fell off the turnip truck on their way into the big city. Every now and then one lucky winner takes home a bundle of money. Just like other lotteries, for that one person to win millions, millions of others must pay; in this case the taxpayers of Harris County, Texas paid the winning ticket.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Let’s destroy another crop

2011-06-06T10:46:00.001-05:00

If you’ve been locked away in a closet of late, there was a deadly E. coli outbreak in Europe which sickened hundreds and is linked to the deaths of at least 22 people. Last week cucumbers were blamed and folks immediately stopped buying cucumbers.

Over the weekend bean sprouts were said to have started the outbreak; but that was before any evidence was found to support such an announcement. Like it or not the media controls public awareness; folks are not going to eat cucumbers or bean sprouts for quite some time.

“German authorities searching for the source of the deadly E. coli strain said Monday that initial tests on suspect bean sprouts were negative. Tests will be carried out on a wider sample of older sprouts and packaging, Die Welt newspaper reported.”

This is a little like “trial by media”; breaking news about a crime, the suspect’s picture is splashed across the evening news with a smattering of details to indicate police got the dirt bag and good riddance to bad baggage. Articles appear for a couple of days showing crime scene photographs with close ups of a pair of little girls panties to let everyone know what kind of beast was involved, the suspect’s picture carefully offset on the monitor. The suspect, a geometry teacher for the past 14 years, is said to have raped one of our precious children; loss of a once promising career and he’s forced to move away from his respectable neighborhood.

A few months go by and the public isn’t interested in the follow up story on page 26 of the local rag which exonerated the suspect; not much is mentioned of his being unable to find gainful employment. He might as well be a cucumber or a bag of bean sprouts; nobody will go near him.

“Suspicion for the cause of the deadliest known E. coli outbreak had fallen on lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers, initially from Spain. The E. coli outbreak has killed 22 people, sickened more than 2,200 and left Europeans across the continent uneasy about eating raw vegetables.”

Remember sitting at the dinner table with a lump of cold spinach looking back at you? Your parents giving the old, “You’re not finished until you eat every last bite!” as you try to push it under the napkin. “There are children in Africa starving”, that was the killer line back when I was a kid.

I once offered to collect my left over vegetables, put them in a parcel post box and have it delivered; the suggestion was not received well and I still had to eat my spinach. Over the years I’ve learned to enjoy, even relish freshly steamed spinach; a little butter and salt to bring out the natural flavor.

In this brave new world your children, while trying to get away from the table might say, “This stuff tastes like sh...” Before they complete that last word you interrupt them, “It is; now finish your dinner!”

This whole E. coli thing is a scare tactic; government goons trying to put farmers out of business; but why? It must have something to do with cows destroying the atmosphere, methane, CO2 levels or some such thing.

Eventually private farms will go bankrupt and the government will take over. Former farm owners are now on the clock as employees or perhaps a better term, indentured slaves. They make enough to get by, no more, no less; just like the rest of the work force.

Can you imagine eating Government Brand Spinach; never fresh and only comes in a can? No more fresh spinach that might contain bacteria; no, this stuff will have been nuked before it ever hits the shelves. Time to set this aside; it’s time for breakfast.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Splitting Hairs on Religion

2011-05-27T15:01:00.002-05:00

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston asked Rev. Scott Rainey to offer the invocation at the Houston National Cemetery this Memorial Day weekend along with the stipulation his prayer be subjected to approval and editing. According to a story by Terri Langford in the Houston Chronicle Rev. Rainey was originally told he couldn't use the words "Jesus Christ" at the close of his prayer; they have since relented.

"Rainey's prayer, less than a page long, includes the recitation of the Lord's Prayer and closes with one reference to Jesus: "While respecting people of every faith today, it is in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, that I pray. Amen."

"Rainey was instructed by the cemetery to submit his prayer for review a month ago. Cemetery director Arleen Ocasio then emailed Rainey on May 19, informing the pastor that the prayer was still in need of editing."

The issue of whether or not individuals have the right to express religious views in public has been under fire and likely the powers of darkness will never cease their attempts to eradicate references to God or His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ; however the Supreme Court has on previous occasion upheld an individual's constitutional protection of free speech in the public square, even on religious matters.

"The government cannot gag citizens when it says it is in the interest of national security, and it cannot do it in some bureaucrat's notion of cultural homogeneity," (U.S. District Judge Lynn) Hughes wrote in his order, granting the Rev. Scott Rainey's motion for the court to intercede. "The right to free expression ranges from the dignity of Abraham Lincoln's speeches to Charlie Sheen's rants."

However, even with the dispute seemingly defused others were not especially pleased; expressing less enthusiastic reservations. An old Ricky Nelson tune comes to mind, "You see you can't please everyone, so, you have to please your self..."

"Rabbi Mark J. Miller, of Congregation Beth Israel, called Rainey's prayer "beautiful" but said that "it is a prayer to which I and many others cannot say 'Amen.' "

I once heard a wonderfully related story about a good Christian who'd been invited to a Jewish family meal. Being a close friend and honored guest the fellow was asked to bless the meal, "...but please respect my insistence that you not close your prayer "in the name of Jesus Christ", the host quietly implored. Had there not been considerable mutual respect such an opportunity could not have come about and so the blessing was carried out; carefully and thoughtfully ending, "...in the name of the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob and the God of Isaac, Amen".

At the close of the prayer the host added his "Amen". He then smiled toward his friend, adding, "You did it anyway, didn't you?" Would it have mattered had that prayer ended, "in the name of Nature's God", "Our Creator" or "the Prince of Peace"; don't they all refer to the same Individual ?

Memorial Day serves as an opportunity to consider the miraculous journey our nation has had from its inception. We recognize God's hand in all things; Providence acknowledged in securing victory and preserving us a nation. He is the source of comfort as we honor those who gave their all in defending liberty.

When we close our prayer, "in the name of Jesus Christ", withhold your "Amen" if you must; but isn't that narrow minded, a form of ingratitude seeing as your Creator and mine happen to be one and the same?

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Let them eat cake

2011-05-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said something the other day which identified one of the many problems in government, pay raises for the elite during recessionary times. Reid got his nose out of joint; it seems Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had his $20,000 raise held up by Senator David Vitter, a pro-drilling Republican from Louisiana.

“It is wrong for Sen. Vitter to try to get something in return for moving forward on a matter that the Senate has considered routine for more than a century,” Reid said. You see, folks in government see nothing wrong in getting raises regardless of the fact that most of the country is suffering moderate to severe income issues; it’s considered routine.

The country’s bank account is on life support and, like Harry Reid pointed out, it’s only $20,000; what’s the big deal. I’ll tell you what the big deal is; thousands of folks in the oil industry have been laid off because Salazar’s bureaucracy has effectively shut down drilling in the Gulf. The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement has signed off on only one new oil well permit, all the rest were reissued for existing wells.

The Obama administration’s moratorium on drilling was imposed to penalize the oil industry (and our free market capitalist system), putting thousands of workers on unemployment. I’ve a better idea; put Salazar and the rest of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement on the unemployment line; so much for routine raises!

“The history behind your pay raise proposal and the insider support it may have here in Washington is irrelevant. Mr. Secretary, the fact is your polices and your department’s mismanagement of permits is causing more Gulf energy workers literally to lose their jobs every day,” he (Vitter) wrote.”

Deep water drilling rigs have left our Gulf waters where they’ve been refused permits in favor of more friendly areas like Brazil where the Obama administration has pumped billions of American taxpayer dollars to help Petrobras , Brazil’s state owned oil company. Specialized rigs will not return for years leaving our oil industry, related jobs and U.S. economy far behind. When asked what unemployed oil workers should do since they have no money for bread, I may have heard wrong; but Reid is rumored to have said, “Let them eat cake”.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.