George Orwell was Right

Take a long look at this image of the American flag. I hope it makes you a bit uneasy, because I believe this is the direction our country is headed.

The book 1984 was not intended to be an instruction manual. "War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength", weren't just doublespeak slogans: They were written by George Orwell as a warning.

Those who give away their freedoms and take away the freedoms of others in a misguided attempt to improve the common good are leading this country down the wrong path.

Take another long look at this image; this is not the future you want to leave to your grandchildren!

Danger

A Good Example

How to be a Good Example: Why two wrongs do make a right. Part 4 of 4

 

Ronald Reagan once said, “I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts."

 

Let’s get to my point: To ban guns because criminals misuse them is telling law abiding citizens that our rights and liberties depend not on our conduct, but on the conduct of the criminals. In other words, the law will permit law abiding citizens only those rights and freedoms that the lawless have not exploited.

 

I’m convinced that society can't control crime by forcing law-abiding citizens to accommodate themselves to the behavior of criminals. Society should control crime by forcing the criminals to accommodate themselves to the expected behavior of law-abiding citizens.

 

Let’s carry this to the extreme. Imagine what would happen if no one complained about rules: I’m convinced that local, state, federal, and international agencies would constantly be creating new rules for everything you can imagine; and for a lot of things you can’t imagine. Ultimately we would have no freedom at all.

 

We would be told when to get up, how to dress, what to eat, where to work, how to get there, what to do while we’re there, when to leave, and how to get home. It would extend to where we could live, who we could marry, how many children we could produce, what their names would be, and what they would learn in school.

 

Our lives would not only be totally dictated to us, we would be monitored every moment of every day. Cameras at intersections, cameras at work, cameras at parks, cameras at home, cameras at church, cameras in our cars … oh wait … I’m not sure we’ll have cars. All of this would be “for our own good” of course, and I’ll admit that the reasons would “make sense” to most people.

 

Don’t look now but recent news stories suggest that this is happening as you read this. It’s not our future it’s our present and the only way to stop it, or at least slow it down, is to push back. As citizens, and more importantly as humans with natural rights, we need to resist the creation of more and more rules that are imposed “for our own good”. We, The People, need to become rebels for our own cause.

 

I’m not suggesting anarchy, society requires rules, and I’m not sure how to balance this requirement for rules and the freedom to ignore them. I admit that it’s a difficult problem, but it’s important that we refuse to reduce our sense of what’s right and wrong to someone else’s complicated list of rules. If we don’t I believe that what we cherish as humans will be lost, and that our society will ultimately fail, because we’re giving up our ability, and our right, to determine our own lives.

 

So be a good example: Rock the boat; create some waves; walk on the grass; freely give to the homeless guy; take your elephant for a walk; remove the water restrictor in your shower; go where no man has gone before; ignore the sign that says “No Dogs”; embrace the idea that rules are meant to be broken; choose to be the bad apple; and follow the sound of a different drummer once in a while.

 

Yes society may require rules, but you have a right to live without a bunch of crazy rules enacted for the “greater good”; or at least you do today. If you don’t recognize and react to the threat to your liberties now, you are going to lose everything that is important.

Merry Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.

In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets;

in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom

he created the universe, who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being,

and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

Newtown Remembered

I continue to stand with those who remember the victims of all violent incidents, especially in America, including the horrific shooting in the Newton Connecticut School and the recent shooting in San Bernardino. I am increasingly saddened by the tragic loss of life and by the struggle of those who survive. I am also saddened by this nation's reaction to these events.

A friend of mine works for a nearby police department directing a television program called Make the Call about unsolved crimes. On this show the families and friends of murder victims are interviewed, giving us a personal account of the drive-by shootings, gang shootings, and seemingly random shootings so common in this area. I agree with him that "some of the victims were wonderful loving people and some were not, but we must never forget that they all had people who loved them".

The tragedy is that these people, or others, lost their way before losing their lives. I also agree with my friend that the grief of the families and friends is palpable and understandable. Ignoring the causes of these situations, it is a sobering reality check that the one injured or killed by an act of violence is not the only victim of the crime. It naturally inspires in us the desire to do what is possible to prevent this kind of violence.

The married couple accused of the San Bernardino shooting are described as ‘quiet and polite” with no “obvious grudges”. While the motive remains a mystery it is now being called an act of terrorism; we know that the husband was “radicalized” and his wife had recently entered the country from Pakistan. Their actions were well planned, they were both dressed in tactical gear, and they were prepared for a gunfight.

Those that support gun rights may or may not be correct about mental health being the primary cause, but it’s almost a given that someone psychologically prepared to kill innocent people is suffering from some form of mental illness. While it’s difficult for me to understand psychological causes as they relate to religious fanaticism, I would say this couple too lost their way.

What can we learn from this event? Ask yourself why the focus is still on the tools used during a crime instead of the underlying causes of crime, and you might get an insight into what is happening in this country. If you continue to let our nations leaders, the media, or anyone else distract you then you are part of the problem. Be part of the solution: Guns are just a tool, they are not the problem!

Thanks be to God

For the fruits of his creation, thanks be to God.

For his gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,

Silent growth while we are sleeping,
Future needs in earth's safekeeping,

Thanks be to God.

 

 

In the just reward of labor, God's will be done.

In the help we give our neighbor, God's will be done.
In our worldwide task of caring, for the hungry and despairing,

In the harvests we are sharing, God's will be done.
 

For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us,
Most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.

Paris

God bless those killed and injured in the terror attacks in Paris. These attacks are a horrific reminder that evil is out there. It will always be out there! How do you feel about the Friday attacks in Paris?

1) People without common sense said:
 "Thank God they don't allow guns here, we feel especially safe."
2) People with common sense said:
 "How can anyone be stupid enough to believe we are safe in gun-free zones."
3) Politicians said:
 "I can't believe we fooled people into thinking they would be safe in gun-free zones."
4) Terrorists said:
 "It's like shooting fish in a barrel!"

When you create "gun-free zones" and disarm law-abiding citizens all you do is embolden criminals and terrorists. Don't make it easier for the bad guys to commit mass carnage in America.