It's a good thing this blog is free cause no one is going to want to read this. We must get up off of the couch and get to a city council meeting or a school board meeting or a township board meeting or a whatever. We need to understand who is running our local clique. What are the local issues being discussed and what are the proposed solutions on the table and what type of representation are we getting.
Sound like fun? I didn't think so. It is called civic duty. Did you sneeze? I figured with all the dust flying off of that one you might have. CIVIC DUTY. It even sounds onerous doesn't it? Kind of like Jury Duty, or Community Service. I contend that if we engage in civic duty, we can do away with community service. Unless of course you are a convict, in which case we can re institute community service, but only for you of course. Believe it or not, there was a time in this country when all male members of our society would go to the local church, or town hall and engage in self rule. Imagine that, they all read and knew the contents of the bill of rights, the constitution, parliamentary procedure and oh yes, the contents of their respective bibles.
I am reading a book right now written on or around 1850. Sounds boring I know, but the truth is, it is utterly fascinating. The author is a Frenchman many of you may have heard of and even know a little something about, his name was Alexis De Tocqueville. He spent about ten months here in the U.S. on or around 1830. The reason I mention this is because he went on to write this book I am only now reading, that was tauted in France at the time as the most ground breaking book published in over 30 years.
I myself, believe that is an understatement. I believe Tocqueville was a genius and more than that, he could articulate what he witnessed politically and socially like no other perhaps before or since. Let me get to the point. We have the luxury of hindsight when evaluating his words, which makes what he wrote even more profound then they could have possibly known 150 years ago. Therefore, we had better start to act on what he foretold. He said the genius that is America, and I paraphrase, is her morality. When she is no longer moral, she will no longer remain great. 150 years ago, this comment was seen as nothing more than an affirmation. Today, it is a wake up call.
With all of the moral ambiguity that exists today, and the moral relativism, how many of us, myself included, are comfortable with that phrase? Do you think it sounds apocalyptic? I do. When I first read that comment, my thoughts went immediately to my own behavior. I went through this personal assessment, which I am not proud to announce, was a little light in the seat. This is somewhat funny, because anyone who actually knows me, knows light in the seat is probably an improper metaphor for me.
The bottom line is, I realized that I am sorely wanting in the moral department. I remembered that our nation was actually founded upon freedom of religion so we could all worship unencumbered. Although, now it is more like unrequited, at least for me. To be sure, my compass was not broken, simply avoided. Kind of like the guy who gets lost and refuses to stop and ask for direction.
Isn't it ironic how events can conspire to force us to look into ourselves? I am being general, so if you are not one of us, do not take offense. What I am really trying to say is, we need to reassess our values, our principles, and our faith or lack thereof. I am finding this renaissance of faith reinvigorating. I am looking through the prism of hope, and confidence as I rekindle my relationship with my God, and my religion. I am now of the understanding that unless we come from a position of moral clarity, and moral authority, oh man more dust flying now, then we can not understand what the pursuit of happiness is about in the first place.
We can devise the most comprehensive intricate story ever known, but if we can not read, what is the use. To know the Bill of Rights, or the Constitution, is of less use if we do not see it through the eyes of a clear moral perspective. I am not talking about dogma of one religion or another, I am talking about natural law. The basic tenants of mankind. Things like no murder, no adultery, no usury, no coercion, and so on. These are the things that make the afore mentioned papers relevant.
Without that clear moral imperative, we digress. We fall off of our road. Look about you now. Do you see the drift? Are you prepared to call it by name? Is bribery wrong? Is lying relative? Is truth ambiguous? How can we hold accountable our elected officials, if we are not willing to hold ourselves to a higher level? I know this is difficult to read. None of us are into self flagellation, and we sure as hell don't want to get involved in CIVIC DUTY, but here we are. At the risk of sounding apocryphal, we need to make a decision. Many of us have gone a long way off of the path we would like to be on, and the distance back seems insurmountable. It is not. Break out your compass, blow off the dust and find true north. We will get there together.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Days of Reckoning
Have you ever listened to the talking heads on Sunday morning TV? Do you ever listen or read the blogs or papers of Liberal Depressives? The extent of moral relativism is so pervasive it makes you want to hurl. I mean literally vomit. For some erstwhile kool-aid drinker to equate this Detroit, MI bombing attempt with Richard Lewis of the UK and his bombing attempt is not only contemptible, it is downright asinine.
Put down the kool-aid and slowly back away. Did you ever go to Sunday school? I mean it seriously. Did you or do you have any children? Are you of the school that two wrongs make a right? Wake up, put on a pair of big boy pants, and let's discuss the pros and cons of our current war on terror. Is the home land security czar doing a good job? Does the Obama administration take the war on terrorism seriously? These are questions adults should be asking themselves and each other.
When the leader of the free world says things, whether we agree with them or not, it matters. People listen from all over the planet. So when the President says we no longer have enemy combatants, and acts of terrorism will now be referred to as "man made disasters", people think the problem must not be that serious. We only have a legal dilemma to contend with. A simple law enforcement issue. This Nigerian would be bomber is not committing an act of war, he is simply breaking the law. He is not an enemy combatant, he is a suspect and entitled to the fullest protection of any American citizen under our constitution.
If this is your position, then let it be pronounced. Let it come to the fore and let us enter into the arena of ideas. Let us determine if indeed this is how we wish to proceed with these type of incidents. To say that because this has happened before and people were tried in our courts successfully so ergo that is precedent, is ignoring the unprecedented nature of the very act itself. This is not a criminal issue. This is not a law enforcement dilemma. These are overt acts of war on the free world.
Let us not fall into some lazy dogmatic political discourse of my side over yours. Let us discuss the relevant issues of our day intelligently and with passion. Avoid the temptation to use worn platitudes that have no relevance to what is actually going on here today. We need to have discourse on these issues and come to a consensus. The Liberal Depressives have forever been on the side of capitulation, compromise, and concession. It is supposed to pass for deliberate, contemplative, balanced, logic. It is not. I contend that it is weakness pure and simple. Do not confuse their lack of courage for confronting directly the hard issues of our day with some sort of measured response. It is neither measured nor a response. It is merely capitulation because that is the easy road.
The days of an uninformed electorate are over. We no longer are plebiscites who rely on the network news to stay informed. We have access to the latest and unvarnished news as it occurs. We are not to be condescended to from on high. Yes there are still many among us who have not chosen to engage yet, but they are fewer by the very minute. We understand all of the great philosophers of history, the great political scientists of history, the great economists of history and we will not be dissuaded from what we know to be true. Save your platitudes for the great unwashed, for they are not listening anyway. The ones who are listening know the difference between theory and process.
I know most pundits today will not forecast the 2010 elections in November. I will make this prediction here and now for you to hold me to in the coming months. The body politic in this country is about to change like it has not in 200 hundred years. We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore. There is a reckoning coming. Those of us who read and listen and learn are anxiously awaiting the moment when we enter the poll booth to utterly annihilate your paradigm. The guillotine for you will be the awakening of the American Patriot and his blade will be his vote.
Put down the kool-aid and slowly back away. Did you ever go to Sunday school? I mean it seriously. Did you or do you have any children? Are you of the school that two wrongs make a right? Wake up, put on a pair of big boy pants, and let's discuss the pros and cons of our current war on terror. Is the home land security czar doing a good job? Does the Obama administration take the war on terrorism seriously? These are questions adults should be asking themselves and each other.
When the leader of the free world says things, whether we agree with them or not, it matters. People listen from all over the planet. So when the President says we no longer have enemy combatants, and acts of terrorism will now be referred to as "man made disasters", people think the problem must not be that serious. We only have a legal dilemma to contend with. A simple law enforcement issue. This Nigerian would be bomber is not committing an act of war, he is simply breaking the law. He is not an enemy combatant, he is a suspect and entitled to the fullest protection of any American citizen under our constitution.
If this is your position, then let it be pronounced. Let it come to the fore and let us enter into the arena of ideas. Let us determine if indeed this is how we wish to proceed with these type of incidents. To say that because this has happened before and people were tried in our courts successfully so ergo that is precedent, is ignoring the unprecedented nature of the very act itself. This is not a criminal issue. This is not a law enforcement dilemma. These are overt acts of war on the free world.
Let us not fall into some lazy dogmatic political discourse of my side over yours. Let us discuss the relevant issues of our day intelligently and with passion. Avoid the temptation to use worn platitudes that have no relevance to what is actually going on here today. We need to have discourse on these issues and come to a consensus. The Liberal Depressives have forever been on the side of capitulation, compromise, and concession. It is supposed to pass for deliberate, contemplative, balanced, logic. It is not. I contend that it is weakness pure and simple. Do not confuse their lack of courage for confronting directly the hard issues of our day with some sort of measured response. It is neither measured nor a response. It is merely capitulation because that is the easy road.
The days of an uninformed electorate are over. We no longer are plebiscites who rely on the network news to stay informed. We have access to the latest and unvarnished news as it occurs. We are not to be condescended to from on high. Yes there are still many among us who have not chosen to engage yet, but they are fewer by the very minute. We understand all of the great philosophers of history, the great political scientists of history, the great economists of history and we will not be dissuaded from what we know to be true. Save your platitudes for the great unwashed, for they are not listening anyway. The ones who are listening know the difference between theory and process.
I know most pundits today will not forecast the 2010 elections in November. I will make this prediction here and now for you to hold me to in the coming months. The body politic in this country is about to change like it has not in 200 hundred years. We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore. There is a reckoning coming. Those of us who read and listen and learn are anxiously awaiting the moment when we enter the poll booth to utterly annihilate your paradigm. The guillotine for you will be the awakening of the American Patriot and his blade will be his vote.
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