The problem with government is that they want to govern everything. I believe personal liberty was the foundational belief on which this country was founded, not a nanny state or on a religious ideology. I’m sure to some degree the beliefs of the founding fathers played some role in their shaping of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights but they went out of their way to ensure that the separation of church and state was mentioned and the freedom of religion was guarantee. We see now why that is. Laws and regulations which favor a specific set of religious beliefs are always an infringement on the rights of others. Example, gay marriage, despite the fact that more than 57% of Americans ( http://pewforum.org/Gay-Marriage-and-Homosexuality/Majority-Continues-To-Support-Civil-Unions.aspx ) support civil unions between same sex partners, a percentage which has been increasing since 2000, politicians still oppose the legalization of same sex marriage, because they fear the backlash of the Christian voters.
So I pose a question to Christians and all conservatives opposed to same sex marriage. Is the job of your representative to ensure the rights and freedoms of people to live and be happy are secure or to play politics to your specific beliefs? If you say it is to ensure that your moral code and beliefs are forced upon others then what happens if a large number Muslims move to your small community? Is it then your politician’s job to ensure that all the women in your house wear burkas when outside. Should your children then pray in schools toward Mecca 3 times a day. How about if Scientologists move into your community. Then should we teach Scientology in schools rather than evolution on creationism? If you don’t know…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_beliefs_and_practices
“According to Scientologist mythology, thetans brought the material world into being largely for their own pleasure.[9] The material universe – composed of matter, energy, space and time (MEST) – was created by thetans in a primordial past, a "time before time".[7] It has no independent reality, but derives its apparent reality because most thetans agree it exists.[8] It is believed that thetans became victims of their own involvement with the material universe by becoming entrapped by it.[9] They began to identify with their creation, rather than their original state of spiritual purity.[7] Eventually, this reached a point where thetans lost their memory of their true nature as thetans, along with the associated spiritual and creative powers.[7][8][10] Instead, they came to think of themselves as nothing but embodied beings.”
Furthermore I think that the tax exemption for churches should be removed. I believe this system is flawed and exploited. The only portion of any organization that I believe should be even considered for tax exemption is a portion that is a charity, and generates no revenue or personal income. Sorry Benny Hinn, no tax free millions and gold pianos for you.
While I’m on taxes for a second, perhaps we should address the monstrous tax code of the US. Here is an idea and surprisingly not a new one. Scrap it. Transition to a national sales tax while abolishing ALL other forms of taxes does a few significant things. One, it allows for the consolidation and simplification of a system that even the IRS experts don’t fully understand and that is filled with amendments that contradict themselves. It allows to total transparency in taxation, you know exactly what percentage your being taxed and when and how. What percentage of your income do you pay in Income tax (federal and state), sales tax, property tax , vehicle tax, gas tax, food tax, cigarette tax, alcohol tax, school tax, social security tax, oh the hell with it… you have no idea. Here is a list of the Federal taxes, you can do the math and then add any additional state, city, county taxes that apply. http://zatavu.blogspot.com/2006/05/list-of-taxes-we-pay_10.html . Additional it does things like remove the taxes from retirement savings accounts, removes the threat of government from stealing your house if you don’t pay your taxes on it… I mean you bought and paid for it, you didn’t know you were renting it from Uncle Sam. Last one that I’m going to point out, not the last one just the last one I’m making time for, all money spent in the US gets taxed, tourist money, people paid “under the table”, money used in drug or other illegal transactions, if it gets spent it gets taxed.
Since we are throwing out the taxes, lets look at something that this would effect. Social Security, I believe that the solution to the social security issue, like all things, lie in the private sector not the government. In the 1983, the fund for social security was “unified” with the other national debt and the funds that should have been “growing” were depleted and now we have a big IOU from Washington. Subsequently, the growth on this “retirement account” averages 1.23% and is lower for some women and minorities. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/1998/01/Social-Securitys-Rate-of-Return Average annual rate of return on a 401K over 70 years is 12%. Yep those decimals are in the right place. So what is the solution if we are abolishing social security. Well the government has an obligation to pay back at least the amount of money taken from people at gunpoint, so I think the government should give people the option to roll that fund into any type of retirement savings account the people choose. So I could add the money, I have paid into social security into my Fidelity 401k. Additional the federal government could mandate that all businesses offer to draw a percentage of the person’s income and apply it to a retirement plan, however they could not force the employer to “match” any percentage nor could they force the employee to participate.
To tackle, the immigration issue I think we need a much larger carrot and harder stick approach. First, address the recent “incursion” into Arizona in which a portion of US land, 1500 acres, has been declared uninhabitable for citizens because of violence from drug cartels and human traffickers. Nation guard troops should be deployed by the thousands to the southern boarder to secure it and establish a perimeter fence and continued to patrols to ensure the fences success. On the flip side, our immigration system is flawed. It is much to difficult for people to immigrate legally into the United States. I have a friend and co-worker who immigrated from Ecuador with is wife and kids. After 10 years of working, paying taxes, and living here, he went to get a correction made to his wife’s immigration paperwork. Her maiden name initial was wrong on her and on their children’s paperwork. They were all deported except for the husband. After thousands of dollars and more than a year no substantial progress has been made in reuniting them and the immigration department estimates 2 – 5 more years. WTF, no wonder people sneak in.
Last point for tonight as the rum and coke starts to set in, is fill in the blanks.
In this his period a black market of _________ flourished and encouraged the growth of violent gangs. No industry standards or regulations forced people to produce _________ in their backyards and basements, leading to home invasions, accidents, death from tainted or “cut” (laced) __________.
If you got that one right, I’ll buy you a drink because we are talking about the prohibition of alcohol…. or are we. Marijuana has been legalized for medical purposes in some states already and people are beginning to understand that it is the mega death drug the politicians have made it out to be. It is not physical possible to over dose on it and it is not the gate way drug it is touted to be. I’m not going to defend it here because the post will be and is already larger than I intended. So, I’ll close it out with this. It’s a billion dollar industry, the would produce hundreds of thousands of jobs and remove tens of thousands of non-violent “criminals” guilty only of victimless crimes from the country’s jails and off the budget. You’ve probably already made up your mind if you think it should be legal or not, but if you are on the fence… do some research. Don’t listen to anybody, just learn the facts and make a rational decision.
“Government is not a solution to our problem, government is the problem.” by Ronald Reagan.
“History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecution of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy... These measures never fail to create great and violent jealousies and animosities between the people favored and the people oppressed; whence a total separation of affections, interests, political obligations, and all manner of connections, by which the whole state is weakened. “ ---- Benjamin Franklin
I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer. ---Benjamin Franklin
If by the liberty of the press were understood merely the liberty of discussing the propriety of public measures and political opinions, let us have as much of it as you please: But if it means the liberty of affronting, calumniating and defaming one another, I, for my part, own myself willing to part with my share of it, whenever our legislators shall please so to alter the law and shall cheerfully consent to exchange my liberty of abusing others for the privilege of not being abused myself. ---Benjamin Franklin
Strangers are welcome because there is room enough for them all, and therefore the old Inhabitants are not jealous of them; the Laws protect them sufficiently so that they have no need of the Patronage of great Men; and every one will enjoy securely the Profits of his Industry. But if he does not bring a Fortune with him, he must work and be industrious to live. ----Benjamin Franklin
A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks. Thomas Jefferson
An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens....There has never been a moment of my life in which I should have relinquished for it the enjoyments of my family, my farm, my friends & books. Thomas Jefferson
Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition. Thomas Jefferson
Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism. George Washington
I had always hoped that this land might become a safe and agreeable asylum to the virtuous and persecuted part of mankind, to whatever nation they might belong. George Washington
And lastly
Knowledge is, in every country, the surest basis of public happiness. George Washington
----Thank for bearing with the long long post and I yield back the remainder of my time…. if there was any left.
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