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The Time For Repealing JASTA Is Now!
Recently, on September 28, the United States Congress passed JASTA, the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, but I think that was a mistake. The United States is a sovereign state on the world stage meaning it sets its own foreign policy and decides how things will operate inside its boundaries. What If They Just Stop Watching?
In the beginning, what excited people most about traveling to the new world was freedom to practice their religion without persecution or being treated differently for not adhering to a state mandated religion. As time passed, people were compelled by the idea that they could grab a piece of land and create their own wealth. These two ideas best characterize the American dream, the freedom to have a set of beliefs and not be compelled to follow the group and the freedom to build wealth from a wing and a prayer. Our governing system evolved from these two important rights. More These Dead Shall Not
Have Died In Vain It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. –Abraham Lincoln Last evening, we shared a table with a young group of marines en route to SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) training in Maine. I woke up this morning feeling especially thankful to those who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our nation and yet I kept thinking about the Gettysburg Address. This is because I worry whether our soldiers (and their families) deployed after 9/11, many injured or in coffins, sacrificed in vain. Social Engineering is a lot like Socialism
Recently, two articles gave me pause. The first by Alana Semuels, “How Chicago is Trying to Integrate its Suburbs” caught my attention because I spent many formative years in Glenview, the suburb highlighted in the article. Reading about the new low income housing there, a collaboration between the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and Regional Housing Initiative (RHI), I recalled a conversation... More |
Click Here to listen to my 7/14 interview with Chuck Wilder about Hillary Clinton and the racial divide in this country.
*Blog 7/19/16
The Meaning Behind The "Words Matter" Is What Is Important It is clear that the essence of the speeches were not even remotely similar. Melania spoke for about 17 minutes on how proud she was of our country. She highlighted the opportunities available to the citizens of the United States. Contrast that with Michelle’s comments about how she was proud of our country for the 1st time in her life because her husband was the presidential nominee. These are two starkly different messages. *Blog 1/9/16
Why so many kids can’t sit still in school today Parents and teachers may find this very disturbing. Why have the education system, medical experts and parents not rallied on behalf of our most precious resource, our children? Why do we continue to disregard the full extent of their physical needs, when it is common knowledge that we need to address the whole child? Unfortunately, a two minute brain break isn't going to solve this development, nor will yoga balls. *Blog 8/2/15
Free Speech and Flags Here is some fascinating footage of William F. Buckley and Gore Vidal arguing about the difference between offensive speech and provocative speech. I'm wondering which justices on the Supreme Court changed between this debate and the Nazi march in Skokie, Illinois? How does this help us better understand feelings about Confederate flags? More to come. Click Here to listen to my 7/21 interview with Chuck Wilder about my analysis "Social Engineering is a lot like Socialism"
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A Pirate's Life For Me
Pirates have bad reputations because they pillaged innocent people, even though we don’t normally associate them in that way. Usually, we associate them with island vacations where people let go of their worries and play instead of worrying about work. Still, maybe we ought to ban pirates because they didn’t respect the rights of those they pillaged? On second thought, that might make some people very sad. Pirate aficionados derive joy in thinking about living by their own rules and leaving behind their responsibilities. Pirates are so popular among some groups of people that there are toys, flags, clothing, and even a Talk Like A Pirate Day. Besides, just because some people find pirates offensive, the First Amendment protects free speech, so long as it isn’t inciting people to violence. More
Pirates have bad reputations because they pillaged innocent people, even though we don’t normally associate them in that way. Usually, we associate them with island vacations where people let go of their worries and play instead of worrying about work. Still, maybe we ought to ban pirates because they didn’t respect the rights of those they pillaged? On second thought, that might make some people very sad. Pirate aficionados derive joy in thinking about living by their own rules and leaving behind their responsibilities. Pirates are so popular among some groups of people that there are toys, flags, clothing, and even a Talk Like A Pirate Day. Besides, just because some people find pirates offensive, the First Amendment protects free speech, so long as it isn’t inciting people to violence. More
A Supreme Violation of Church and State
As citizens in this country, certainly same sex couples are entitled to these rights which are available only with a certificate of marriage. Wouldn’t the logical thing to do be to differentiate between a traditional marriage and a civil marriage? Civil marriages by a judge or civil servant are recognized by all 50 states and afforded the same tax and public benefits as a religious ceremony. And both require marital licenses. Many heterosexual couples choose not to be married in a church because none are in accordance with their beliefs so this is not a new precedent. More
As citizens in this country, certainly same sex couples are entitled to these rights which are available only with a certificate of marriage. Wouldn’t the logical thing to do be to differentiate between a traditional marriage and a civil marriage? Civil marriages by a judge or civil servant are recognized by all 50 states and afforded the same tax and public benefits as a religious ceremony. And both require marital licenses. Many heterosexual couples choose not to be married in a church because none are in accordance with their beliefs so this is not a new precedent. More
Majority Rules in Judicial Activism
The Supreme Court has been in the news this week for two different decisions, both of which thrust Justice John Roberts into the conservative spotlight. In King v. Burwell, Roberts upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, i.e. Obamacare, and in Obergefell v. Hodges, Roberts voted against same sex marriage. His opinions are important to examine because in both, it would appear that, he was more concerned with appeasing the popular majority instead of upholding the rule of law, which he is sworn to defend. More
The Supreme Court has been in the news this week for two different decisions, both of which thrust Justice John Roberts into the conservative spotlight. In King v. Burwell, Roberts upheld the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, i.e. Obamacare, and in Obergefell v. Hodges, Roberts voted against same sex marriage. His opinions are important to examine because in both, it would appear that, he was more concerned with appeasing the popular majority instead of upholding the rule of law, which he is sworn to defend. More
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Why are TPA and TPP being referred to as Obamatrade?
In an article by Connor Wolf called This Is The Difference Between TPP And TPA (Hint: They Are Not The Same Thing), he explains that these two bills are linked together because Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) is a means to fast track passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). I am confused by this line of reasoning because as a stand-alone bill, TPA is intended to provide transparency to all trade negotiations by soliciting public and congressional input throughout the process, however, TPP as a stand -alone bill, is behemoth and most of the information to which the public has access has been leaked. Furthermore, it was negotiated behind closed doors. According to the verbiage of TPA, if TPP is not negotiated using TPA guidelines, the fast track option is negated. So why do news outlets and a wide range of legislators portray these two bills disingenuously? More |
An Underhanded Usurpation of Popular Sovereignty
Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence
Under the Articles of Confederation, the 13 states that made up the United States thought of themselves more as nation states loosely banding together as one country, for the purpose of defending their fragile sovereignty against foreign interests. Soon, a crisis later deemed Shay’s Rebellion, emerged. Men who put themselves in harm’s way fighting in the American Revolution had their farms confiscated and were thrown into debtor prisons for being unable to pay taxes issued by their government (ironically to pay for the long war). Farmers organized a “resistance in ways similar to the American Revolutionary struggle.” Coined, “Shaysites” (named after their military leader), they were seen by some “as heroes in the direct tradition of the American Revolution, while many others saw them as dangerous rebels whose actions might topple the young experiment in republican government.” This emergency contributed to the determination that our country needed a national government with authority to enforce its power to raise money and defend itself against foreign and domestic threats. More
Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence
Under the Articles of Confederation, the 13 states that made up the United States thought of themselves more as nation states loosely banding together as one country, for the purpose of defending their fragile sovereignty against foreign interests. Soon, a crisis later deemed Shay’s Rebellion, emerged. Men who put themselves in harm’s way fighting in the American Revolution had their farms confiscated and were thrown into debtor prisons for being unable to pay taxes issued by their government (ironically to pay for the long war). Farmers organized a “resistance in ways similar to the American Revolutionary struggle.” Coined, “Shaysites” (named after their military leader), they were seen by some “as heroes in the direct tradition of the American Revolution, while many others saw them as dangerous rebels whose actions might topple the young experiment in republican government.” This emergency contributed to the determination that our country needed a national government with authority to enforce its power to raise money and defend itself against foreign and domestic threats. More