Goons and the Fourth Amendment

My son William and his sweetheart Abbey were married last night on the same beach he proposed to her a year ago.  Bolivar peninsula isn’t the easiest destination, requiring a very long road trip or, as an alternative, a short ferry ride across the ship channel.  It was a lovely ceremony in spite of the mosquitoes which showed up as uninvited guests.

After the wedding we got into our vehicles for the trip back to Galveston where the reception was to be held.  Some of the wedding party made it onto the ferry which was already loading while the rest of us got to wait in line for the next boat.  The security detail randomly selected vehicles and pulled them out of line to be searched just like they do at the airports.   Mind you, this is a public road with a ferry; not really any different than crossing a body of water over a bridge so it bothered my sense of right and wrong to watch Gestapo tactics being employed. 

Wouldn’t you know these goons singled out two vehicles from the wedding party, one of them had my son and his bride wearing her beautiful wedding gown.   My new daughter in law exclaimed, “You’ve got to be kidding!”  They were not, as she stood on the pavement, wedding dress gathered in her arms to keep it from getting oil on it.  They searched the entire car; engine compartment, trunk and the interior as if it were a piece of luggage at the airport looking for what…explosives, drugs or nail clippers; you tell me.

I remained in my car, grumbling loudly as the veins in my neck began to swell; but not so loudly as to make a scene.  The last thing I wanted was to wreck the night for these kids on their honeymoon.   I knew I could do more with a keyboard the next day; and besides, the goons wouldn’t have comprehended the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, they were simply “doing their jobs”.

The Fourth Amendment as contained in the Bill of Rights:

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

Historically, the Fourth Amendment was a direct result of colonial days and British “General Warrants”, issued by the King which ignored anyone’s reasonable expectation of privacy.  In Virginia a law was drafted to protect individuals from this infringement on liberty.

“That general warrants, whereby any officer or messenger may be commanded to search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, or whose offense is not particularly described and supported by evidence, are grievous and oppressive and ought not to be granted.”

Searches carried out randomly are grievous and oppressive as they support the idea that everyone is guilty until proven otherwise.  Searches conducted without cause by a government official mean the search was conducted capriciously and had no merit other than curiosity. 

The Supreme Court has issued several rulings or exceptions, as found on the Wikipedia pages, that apply to the Fourth Amendment which tend to dilute its original intended purpose.  That having been said,

“Where society’s need is great and no other effective means of meeting the need is available, and intrusion on people’s privacy is minimal, checkpoints toward that end may briefly detain motorists.” (Michigan v. Sitz, 1990)

I’m not a legal scholar; but that comes off as vague to the point of being useless if we’re trying to justify violating the Fourth Amendment protections afforded individuals, at least from the founding father’s standpoint.  “Society’s need”, it would appear the Supreme Court might have forgotten which country they were in.   Society’s needs NEVER justify denying a God given individual right.  If this concept isn’t clear by now then none of the other protections offered by the Bill of Rights and Constitution mean anything either.

“In 1979, (Delaware v. Prouse) the Supreme Court stated that, absent articulable and reasonable suspicion that a motorist is unlicensed or that an automobile is not registered, or that either the vehicle or an occupant is otherwise subject to seizure for violation of law, stopping an automobile and detaining the driver in order to check his driver’s license and the registration of the automobile are unreasonable.”

That ferry check point is starting to look a bit shaky.  If these goons where searching for contraband of any kind then the check point was clearly a violation of law unless they had a signed search warrant based on probable cause; yea, right!  I forgot to notice the dates; we are in retrograde mode.  

As John Locke explained many years ago: 

“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings, capable of laws, where there is no law there is no freedom. For liberty is to be free from restraint and violence from others, which cannot be where there is no law; and is not, as we are told, ‘a liberty for every man to do what he lists.’ For who could be free, when every other man’s humour might domineer over him? But a liberty to dispose and order freely as he lists his person, actions, possessions, and his whole property within the allowance of those laws under which he is, and therein not to be subject to the arbitrary will of another, but freely follow his own.”

If that antique wording went over your head, it means that individuals have certain inalienable rights which cannot be usurped regardless of how many of his/her neighbors gather to abolish or reduce those inalienable rights.  People can give to their government ONLY that which they themselves have individually. 

Our Declaration of Independence pointed to this idea as we separated from the rule of Great Britain and its King. 

“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,..”

Ezra Taft Benson in his talk, The Proper Role of Government , quoted the Alabama state constitution. 

“That the sole object and only legitimate end of government is to protect the citizen in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and when the government assumes other functions it is usurpation and oppression.”

This idea has been around since before governments were instituted by men and, as far as can be determined, can be found in every state’s constitution; worded in various and yet similarly structured manner. 

The moment we as a people permit our government representatives, be they elected or appointed, to violate individual’s God given rights as protected by our Constitution and Bill of Rights, at that moment we have thrown hundreds of years of blood, sweat and tears in the trash.  We will have taken these precious documents and publicly abandoned the principles upon which they were formed and recorded. 

Regarding public servants working at airports, ferry landings or setting up random check points along our roadways; these security measures were put in place to make everyone feel “safer”; but are in fact earmarks of a police state having been installed in direct conflict with everything our nation stands for.   You cannot excuse yourselves by saying, “I was only doing my job”.

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”.

It Doesn’t Matter Who Poisons You

There’s an old truism, “It doesn’t matter who poisons you, you’ll still be just as dead”.  The first time I heard that it had to do with permitting a friend steal your dream of success by letting them pour cold water on it.  So many of us punch the time clock when we arrive at our jobs, punch out at lunchtime, punch in for the second half and then punch out on the way home.  Doing anything different scares many folks away so living a different “dream” is frightening.  Marginal poverty is “safer” than risking failure on the unknown, going into business for yourself; but I’m ambling now.

This morning there was an article by David Wolman at Times.com explaining how the North Korean government was printing counterfeit $100 and $50 dollar currency in order to prop up the won.   

“These ultra-counterfeits are light years beyond the weak facsimiles produced by most forgers, who use desktop printers. As an anti-counterfeiting investigator with Europol once put it: “Superdollars are just U.S. dollars not made by the U.S. government.” With few exceptions, only Federal Reserve banks equipped with the fanciest detection gear can identify these fakes.”

You might say, jokingly, Korean printed paper money is about as worthless as the money printed by our own government. (I don’t hear anyone laughing, that was a joke, hummm…) The U.S. Treasury continues to add billions of dollars to the supply which in turn devalues currency which is already in the hands of the citizenry; some might call this theft on a grand scale, others might even consider it treasonous to intentionally destroy the foundations of society.   

“According to the House Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, superdollars may be part of the regime’s effort to acquire materials for nuclear weapons.”

Just so you know, that line was supposed to be aimed at the North Korean attempt to destroy the U.S. Dollar; however it could easily have been directed at the Obama administration which has done more to destroy the value of the dollar than all previous administrations put together.  Remember, it doesn’t matter who poisons you, you’ll still be just as dead.

Wolman’s article takes off on a tangent a bit further down; equating folks who exchange cash for goods with criminals or whacko survivalists.  Apparently anyone who doesn’t go through the formality of banks, either with checking accounts or “plastic”, folks like that are a fringe element of society tending toward being unscrupulous.

“At the risk of infuriating cash-hoarding militia members, anonymity-obsessed ACLU’ers, the U.S. Treasury, Russian mob, Laundromat owners, and just about every person who has ever hid a purchase from a spouse or income from the government…”

There was another reference in the article, an important warning which might be overlooked by folks.  The people in North Korea woke up one morning only to find their ability to purchase everyday items was devastated.

“The won was devalued by 100 percent, which meant 1,000 won suddenly had the purchasing power of 10 won. (Imagine waking up to (a) learn that a slice of pizza costs $250.)”

This same thing happened in Zimbabwe in 2007.  It can happen anywhere governments print money that has nothing of real value to back it up.

“One US dollar now buys 30,000 Zimbabwe dollars on the official market, having previously earned 250 Zimbabwe dollars.”

Can you imagine going to the grocery store and having to take a suitcase to carry cash instead of a wallet?  It wouldn’t matter much, Zimbabwe grocery stores didn’t have anything to sell because the entire infrastructure had been destroyed; nothing was making it to the market place. 

Moving right along; the spot market on gold is an interesting way to determine the cost of inflation.  Several years ago the price for an ounce of gold hovered around $400; that same ounce of gold this morning will cost you $1848.  What has been the cost to U.S. citizens who’ve had to sit and watch their life savings destroyed because their own government has been attacking the market place and devaluing the Dollar in leaps and bounds? 

In case you missed the lesson today, it doesn’t matter who poisons you, you’ll still be just as dead.  We have a chance to slow down our rate of destruction, perhaps even reverse course come November.  Elections have consequences, throw these rascals out!

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”.

Stupid Tea Party Extremists

 

Now and then I read where folks deride the Tea Party movement as if it were some sort of blemish on the face of America.  Words or combinations of words complete the thought process, crazy, stupid extremists, zealots, insane; you get the picture.  My thoughts turned to another time not so long ago when a different group of folks were in the cross hairs; pardon the politically incorrect use of cross hairs, when a different group of folks were singled out for destruction because they’d pointed out how communism was a direct threat to our constitutional republic. 

The John Birch Society was a voice against the threat of communism at a time when China and Cuba had already been consumed by it.  The communist party in Russia held strategy sessions on how to neutralize the John Birch Society because the spot light on the socialization of America was a danger to their cause.  Anyone who aligned themselves with the John Birch Society was labeled a fool, crazy extremist who had to be insane and couldn’t be trusted to carry a loaf of bread home from the store; much less run for President like Barry Goldwater. 

How successful was the campaign to destroy the John Birch Society?  To this day many folks are afraid to mention the name in public.  Anyone who dares to carefully dig into muddied political waters can expect the same treatment; Birthers, Climate Warming Deniers and of course Tea Baggers.

Historically the same pattern has been used to destroy and discredit opponents of communism over the years.  Ezra Taft Benson, in his talk, Stand Up For Freedom given on February 11, 1966, pointed out that immediately after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated two things happened.

“First was the speed with which the Communist leaders spread the word that the slaying of the President must have been the work of American conservatives. Moscow has conducted a five year propaganda campaign to make American conservatives look like hysterical fanatics. It has called them “rightists,” “extremists,” and even “fascists.” Within an hour after the assassination and before Oswald was captured, Moscow was assuring the world that this crime was a product of the “rightist” movement on the United States.

The second thing which happened was the amazing rapidity with which American liberals took up the Moscow line. They too were quick to fix the blame even though there hadn’t been the slightest hint as to who had committed the crime. I wonder what would have happened if Oswald had not been captured and identified as an active Communist who was in direct contact with Party headquarters in New York City? Undoubtedly the liberal element would be blaming this tragedy on conservative Americans to this day.”

Does this sound familiar?  It should, this is exactly the way the drive by media handled their explanation of the shooting which nearly killed U.S. Rep. (D) Gabrielle Giffords outside a grocery store in Tucson Arizona a year ago.  The bullet casings were almost to the ground when the first accusations flew from the leftist press.  The shooter, who was already in custody, must be some extremist rightwing nut-job trying to make a political statement.  No facts had been established to justify such a line of thought; but that didn’t keep the press from repeating the absurdity for quite some time; destroy or diminish the ability of conservatives, in particular, destroy the Tea Party movement at any cost.

“Americans at the grass roots level have sensed that their way of life is being threatened. During the last several years there has been a rising tide of resistance to the prevailing political trend. Compromises with Communism abroad and flirtations with socialism at home have stirred up opposition in both political parties. If this has lead to disunity then by all means let us return to a program of sound Constitutional principles on which we can unite.”

In case you’re wondering, that last quote was also spoken by Ezra Taft Benson in the very same talk over 40 years ago.  Sound reasoning and a glimpse at our present day dilemma should make reading the rest of his advice worth while.  

When I hear folks speak in derogatory terms about the Tea Party, folks who hold the constitution dear, folks who see the dangers of following the road to socialism and destruction; I have to wonder.  Have they never read nor understood the invaluable lessons of history?   Instead of flinging insults at Tea Party supporters might I suggest a different strategy; join us.

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”.

The Human Condition

 

Sometimes you can tell by a person’s voice that they’re going to be fun to meet; today was that kind of day.  A woman called wanting work done on her Ford Explorer; something about how when it came back from being worked on the ignition key no longer worked in the doors or the storage cover.  There was a familiar ring to her voice which I pegged right off as being similar to a character in the movie, Temple Grandin.

Temple Grandin was autistic and certain aspects of life were a major challenge, things you and I take for granted.  She was deathly afraid of automatic sliding doors, to the point of avoiding shopping at stores where she’d have to go past the guillotine-like devices.  On one such occasion Temple entered a grocery store and found herself trapped, unable to leave once she realized her only exit was through an automatic sliding glass door.

A sweet woman approached Temple, started a conversation and recognized an opportunity to assist the petrified young girl past the automatic doors.  Her voice was that of a long lost friend even though they’d never met; this was the voice I heard over the phone.  I mentioned this to the customer upon first meeting to work on her key issues.

Turned out all she needed was some spray lubricant in her locks, there was nothing wrong other than they’d become dry from the elements.  Most of the time she used the remote “clicker” to open or lock and so the key hardly ever was used.  She had a sense of humor and got a good laugh for not having tried something so simple herself.  I did make her a duplicate transponder key and programmed it so she’d have a back up key; not like it was a wasted call.

While lubricating the locks and testing her keys to make sure they worked I told her about a woman, many years ago, who’d called because, as she explained, she’d locked herself out of her car one very hot August day.  It was late on a Saturday and I was still an apprentice locksmith working for free; well, not quite free.  I got paid in knowledge and every now and then I was given a job at the end of the day, something not too difficult where I could keep the money; mostly jobs the boss didn’t want, too far in the wrong direction or not worth the effort.

It was a typical Houston summer afternoon, about 97 degrees with high humidity when the lady called about her Cadillac being locked with the keys inside.  Almost an hour’s drive and the lady was sitting on the trunk deck waiting when I drove up. 

She wore a professional three piece business suit; but her makeup had “slid” down and was dripping onto the jacket portion, that’s how hot it was.  I walked around the vehicle testing all the handles; it never hurts to try the simplest thing, the passenger side rear door opened.

“That’s not possible, I always lock the doors”, she blurted out as a smile crept onto my face.  I tried to hide it; but it was already out there.  The lady was perplexed and beside herself as my sense of humor rose to the occasion.

“I’m not going to charge you for the lock out; however, not telling anyone your name is worth the price of admission, wouldn’t you say?”  She paid in cash and was embarrassed to look me in the face.  That’s the human condition; some have it worse than others. Today’s customer only needed a little spray lubricant to get her locks working, nothing to feel too bad 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”.

Mandated Ignition Interlocks for DWI

The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act being considered in Washington would set aside “$25 million per year to states that require the devices to be installed in vehicles of anyone convicted of driving under the influence”; however the bill also has a provision which would mandate those installations in all 50 states according to an article by Joshua Rhett Miller on the Fox News website.  Not everyone favors this legislation, the American Beverage Institute leads the pack; does that surprise anyone?

Managing director Sarah Longwell had a reasonable point, “Interlocks should only be mandated for people who are 0.15 BAC or above on their first offense or who have multiple offenses at any level,” she said. “Below that 0.15 level, a judge should be involved in whether or not the offender gets an interlock.”

I agree, at least in part; “a judge should be involved in whether or not the offender gets an interlock”.  Mandates which use the shotgun approach tend to destroy liberty rather than protect the “innocent”.  Let the judge determine the need; under most circumstances it would be reasonable to require a convicted DWI violator to install an ignition interrupt device, either that or relinquish his/her driving privileges.

“In 2010, more than 10,000 people in the U.S. were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that alcohol detection devices could save nearly 8,000 lives annually.”

Another reason not to like this provision of The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act is the $25 million per year set aside, that’s $25 million tax payer dollars to install these interlock devices to prevent a convicted DWI violator from starting his/her vehicle without first testing their breath to make sure it is within legal levels.  Why should the taxpayers have to pay for this?  The convicted DWI violator should pay for all required equipment and installation, not the taxpayers.

“Michael Boldin, executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, said he disagreed with the “one-size-fits-all solution” behind the provision, particularly given that 42 states have already weighed in on whether to put ignition interlock laws on the books.”

“Every time we set that precedent that the federal government can mandate on the states certain rules or regulations, then the next time that something bigger comes up -- perhaps a health care mandate -- then there’s already the building blocks for this type of power that’s been allowed in the past,” he told FoxNews.com.” 

Somebody explain to me why The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act includes a provision mandating DWI violators install ignition interlock devices in their automobiles.  I get it, the bill has to do with disbursement of $260 billion, $493 million for federal highway safety grants.  This is nothing more than a carrot held at the end of a stick; you want the money, you have to march to the music.  The American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act is another power grab by the federal government.

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”

Pumpkin Likes the DVD Player

Pumpkin has become an “inside” kitty and learned to enjoy some of the modern conveniences.  Indoor hockey with walnuts or balled up pieces of scrap paper is high on her list as she scrambles to keep traction on the hard wood floors, sliding hard into furniture or walls is half the fun; but watching the DVD player seems to have captured her attention of late.  She can be on the other side of the room and hear the cassette door open, the mechanized sound as the motor pushes the tray outward draws her like a magnet.

She’ll sit patiently studying the lights on the control panel; but I don’t think she knows what it says on the display, only that when it’s glowing interesting things happen.  As soon as we hit the remote button the tray is pulled back into the body of the DVD player and Pumpkin, being a Southpaw, jabs ever so quickly slapping the tray once or twice as it retreats to safety.  Pumpkin will wait patiently for another chance; sometimes we offer it to her immediately while other times lulling her into thinking all is safe.  She’s taken up surveillance for as long as an hour, looking away now and then as if to fool the DVD player into believing it no longer matters.

While You Were Fleeing…

 

Sandra Bullock played a woman in love with a stranger who happened to fall into the path of an oncoming train in the movie, While you were sleeping.  Things got out of hand when she told the nurse at the hospital she was his fiancé and the story took off from there.  Eventually she had to fess up for her actions; but it all worked out and she lived happily ever after.

Closer to home, a young man was arrested here in Houston and charged with Felony Murder, a peculiar offense which covers unintentional deaths which are the result of entering into criminal behavior.  The young man “allegedly was involved in the felony of burglary” and had admitted to having been caught red handed prior to his fleeing the scene and leaving his fellow burglary suspect behind.  His partner in crime was shot by a police officer while wrestling for the officer’s gun according to the official report.

“Ed Chernoff, Smading’s attorney, called the charge unfair.

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

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

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

If you follow that line of thought then criminals aren’t responsible for bad things that happen when their plans go sour.  The lazy cop just started blasting away, too lazy to chase some kid on foot; it’s all the cops fault.  The burglary suspects only wanted to break in, steal some stuff and leave; they never intended for anyone to see them, scream out for help, call the cops and they certainly didn’t plan on getting shot.  

You read about things like this all the time; a robber goes into the liquor store to grab some quick money and “accidentally” shoots the owner of the store.  “It wasn’t my fault, he grabbed for my gun and it just went off”.  An auto 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 being arrested for kidnapping.  This happens all the time.

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

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

In spite of what you may have been led to believe, we are responsible for our 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 fleeing the scene of a crime.   When you start a ball 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 The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Out of an abundance of caution

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

“The FDA tested factory sealed containers of powdered infant formula and nursery water with the same lot numbers as the opened containers collected from Missouri and no Cronobacter bacteria were found.”

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

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

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

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

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

There may be a sinister plot to destroy American consumer goods one crisis after another until we all start eating Soylent Green, the daily nourishment bar made from our “dearly departed”. Is the purpose of collapsing the free market so we can usher in some form of state issued product like Soylent Green to take the place of dangerous privately produced or manufactured goods?  Never let it be said the government hasn’t shown an abundance of caution; it’s taken years to destroy our free market system one brick at a time.

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”.

The Aromas of Christmas

Christmas time is when I’m prone to catching colds, this year being no different.  My work takes me out in the elements and this past week we’ve had our share of damp and soggy air; not complaining, after this year of drought we needed the rain.  Monday the symptoms started to appear so we took steps to minimize the impact; lots of vitamin C, extra Zinc and Lucy’s magic box of essential oils.  I don’t claim to know the names of these mysterious fluids, only that she applies some to the soles of my feet and around the base of my neck and instantly my breathing becomes more efficient.  Remind me 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, a futuristic oblong thing which casts a pale blue light while operating.  Small amounts of mist escape from the opening spreading a most enjoyable fragrance throughout the house.  The properties of oils which make up the mist are supposed to kill viruses and germs.  The best part of having the diffuser going may be how it makes the air smell like crushed Cedar or Juniper tree needles; pretty neat since our Christmas tree comes in a box for easy storage and contains no aroma of its own.

This evening Lucy will be in the kitchen with our granddaughter helping bake the last batch of gingerbread cookies, a family recipe that at one time was kept under lock and key.  Some folks dream of waking up to a brand new car 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 made gingerbread cookies from this recipe is on top of my list.  I could handle some Dark chocolate, maybe some Maple syrup candy to melt in my mouth and then, as I breathe out, carefully let the vapors circulate in the olfactory caverns for a second chance to enjoy the subtleties created by that confectionary delight.  These varied aromas make Christmas a special time; and me with a cold, go figure.

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”.

Canons and Cloning

The human soul responds to certain musical tones when arranged properly.  Shepherds watching their flocks by night were treated to heavenly inspired messages inviting them to visit the Christ Child in a manger and we’ve marked this advent with music down through the ages. 

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

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

Robert Tiso is a master at plying the glass harp and needed to clone himself in order to perform this version of the Canonin D major.  May the music find 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 The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

The Gift of Life

 

It’s Christmas time and we go about looking for gifts, enjoying store front windows filled with items of interest and trimming the tree 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 presented its annual Christmas Devotional.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Councilor in the First Presidency of the Church shared his thoughts as he reminded us, “Christmas is about Christ”.  He related a story from when he was a young boy enjoying magical visions created by a candle he’d held in his hand as the energy from it danced behind a curtain in the front window.  The magic of that moment turned to horror as the curtains caught on fire.  He wondered if he’d destroyed Christmas as his parents pulled the burning fabric from the window and put it out.

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

I’d been entranced by the flame as it beckoned further attention.  Passing my finger through it permitted a line of carbon to form, a line which rubbed off easily and didn’t hurt.  It would be neat to leave similar trails on my paper napkin; dragging it carefully through the flame.

In only a moment the napkin flashed into a ball of flame startling my ability to control its decent as it fell from my hand and landing on the table.  I should explain; my father was a furniture salesman and our dinner table was a fine Cherry wood piece polished to near perfection.  In only a moment the flames from the napkin ignited the gloss finish as a wave of blue flames pushed from one end of the table to the other quickly and yet; at the same time, in stop action moments stacked one against the other, a never ending nightmarish reality.

Mom ran from the kitchen and put out the flames and if any words were said I don’t remember them.  My feelings of guilt and horror required compassion rather than scolding as she gathered me in her arms.  I don’t recall ever 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 the house.  It amazes me to this day I survived the moment, that he let me live.

Along the way to adulthood I’ve tested my folk’s ability to keep me alive; and to my amazement they still are pleased to call me Son, go figure.  How does this tie in with Christmas?  Have you always been this slow?

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

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

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

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”.

Wisconsin Third World Mentality Recall

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

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

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

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

Dr. Ian Malcolm, mathematician and chaos theorist played by Jeff Goldblum, pointed out his concern regarding work which had enabled scientists to genetically recreate dinosaurs from DNA samples extracted from mosquitoes trapped in amber.

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

Election cycles are set up to enable citizens to voice their opinions and desires in an orderly manner.  Occasionally a person of dubious character gets elected (had to stop typing for a moment to get something out of my throat), someone who performs so miserably or conducts business in such a way as to stand out from the ordinary criminal element who gets elected, enough to be an embarrassment to society.  Is this where we stand up and say, “Throw them all out”?  Never the less, election cycles are intended to be carried out in an orderly manner.

Targeting elected officials for recall based on partisan politics implies a lack of faith in the system of government we depend upon.  If you think about it, targeting individuals for recall isn’t much different than the way third world countries get rid of the opposition.  Okay, maybe they aren’t going to throw Governor Walker in a shallow pit, shoot him full of holes 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 of government is dear to the hearts of most Americans.  As election time rolls near many of us immerse ourselves in the issues, contestants and possible ramifications of our collective choices.  If it becomes necessary to plan for recall elections as a way of life; isn’t that injecting chaos into the election process; a means whereby malcontents can interrupt the natural process of government?

The folks in Wisconsin are so preoccupied with whether of not they could force a recall; they didn’t stop to think if they should, (altering the movie line to fit the script).  Wisconsin voters should be ashamed for having been duped; this sort of political power play 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 The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Thanksgiving kicks off the Christmas Season

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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”.

Prove it!

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

“Bottled water manufacturers will not be allowed to make the claim that water can prevent dehydration, when a new law goes into effect in the UK next month.

The edict, the Daily Telegraph reports, follows a three-year investigation. European Union officials now conclude there is no evidence to prove the previously undisputed fact.”

This imposed insanity would be laughable, a joke if it weren’t so serious.  If a similar burden of “proof” is required across the board the EU could alter other aspects of expression.  We’ve gone from accepting “a likelihood 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 the doctrines of religion, what then?  “Jesus is the Christ”, the EU will require proof; but religion requires faith, not proof. Haul that fellow off to jail for making statements 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 of immorality are threatened with criminal charges by miscreants who fall back on their “right” to behave any way they please; then go beyond that and make it a crime for anyone to ridicule their lifestyle choices.

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

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

Isn’t that special, I love the way totalitarian rule got painted as “a pleasantly 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 their goon squads are dressed in Martha Stuart color coordinated ensembles.

 

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

One thing is an indisputable fact; the EU has some of the dumbest bureaucrats 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 sense have a chair at the table.

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”.