Wild Roamings

Why I Will Vote For Ron Paul

2012-01-28T17:44:00.000-06:00

Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul. All of these men believe in the historical America, where life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are guaranteed by our Constitution, and free-market capitalism is the force that created the greatest economy in the world. I believe any of them will be better for our future than Barack Obama, who believes that bigger government and wealth re-distribution are the keys to establishing a fair and just utopian society here on the North American continent.

Romney - He is too willing to compromise and change positions to suit me. I believe, deep down, that Romney's primary reason for seeking office is power and the opportunity to create more wealth. He is a free-market capitalist, but I believe that he likes the deck to be stacked too much in his favor. Although running as an outsider, I believe that he would bring a lot of the same that we currently endure to Washington. I do believe that his election would improve the economic plight of Americans.

Gingrich - If the most important job of our President was to win debates, Gingrich would be my guy. However, even though God may have forgiven him for his moral failures, his character is not what I want to see in our President. As Noah Webster said, "In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular party of the candidate - look to his character." Gingrich has none. He also has made a living "working" with the establishment in Washington, sometimes we organizations of dubious reputation.

Santorum - I think he tried to please too many people in Pennsylvania, ended up pleasing no one, and lost his Senate seat. You must have convictions, i.e. "You have to stand for something, or you will fall for anything."

Paul - There is no question where Ron Paul stands on any of the issues. None. He has been singing the same songs in Congress for over 20 years. He is a Constitutional Conservative who loves and fights for liberty. His economic insight is almost frightening, having accurately predicted the housing bust and economic problems we are currently experiencing. He has a sound money policy. He has a radical but rational plan to downsize government and shrink the deficit. His plan is to cut spending, not just reduce the speed of its growth. He clearly wants to return the US to a Constitutional Republic based on individual freedoms and individual responsibilities. He believes strongly in States Rights and the enumerated and limited powers of the Federal Government. He believes in a strong defense, but one used for defense, not offense. He believes in declared war when our nation is threatened. He does not believe that we should be the policeman of the world, or that it is our right or responsibility to interfere in the affairs of other sovereign nations. He will secure our borders, so that we can have a legitimate and legal immigration system. He is NOT in favor of the legalization of drugs, per se. He believes that there should be no Federal drug laws, but that States can enact those laws if desired. His philosophy is that individuals should be able to make their own decisions (individual freedom), and that laws should be made only in order to insure that everyone has equal access to those freedoms and opportunities.

States Rights

2011-12-01T10:37:00.001-06:00

I think this is an article worth reading.

Santorumand Obama: Two Peas in a Pod?

by Connor Boyack

George Orwell is no doubt smiling down from the heavens afterwitnessing last night’s Republican “debate” in Ames, Iowa. Why, you might ask?This event featured more doublethink (if not hypocrisy) than any other in recent history.Recall that Orwell defined doublethink in 1984 as “The power of holding twocontradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both ofthem…” The Ames Debate offered several instances of this very thing, manyrelating directly to the Tenth Amendment. Congresswoman Bachmann, for example,has positioned herself repeatedly as a leader in the tea party, state’s rights,and Tenth Amendment movements.

Asked last night whether there was a difference between thestate or federal government mandating that an individual buy a product(referring primarily to health care insurance), Bachmann responded that therewas no difference. It is “unconstitutional,” she maintained, regardless ofwhether it is imposed by the state or federal government. She did not citewhich part of the Constitution denies states this authority. Of course, that’sbecause no clause in the Constitution prevents states from doing it, asCongressman Paul rightly noted in response to Bachmann’s doublethink. Paulstated that the federal government is not empowered to go in and stop statesthat do bad things. Moments later, Senator Santorum jumped in to criticize bothof them, claiming that their responses were indicative of “the Tenth Amendmentrun amok.”

Said Santorum: Michelle Bachmann says thatshe would go in and fight health care being imposed by states, but she wouldn’tgo in and fight marriage being imposed by the states. That would be okay. Wehave Ron Paul saying oh, whatever the states want to do under the TenthAmendment is fine. So if the states want to pass polygamy, that’s fine. If thestates want to impose sterilization, that’s fine. No! Our country is based onmoral laws, ladies and gentleman. There are things the states can’t do. AbrahamLincoln said “the states do not have the right to do wrong.” I respect theTenth Amendment, but we are a nation that has values. We are a nation that was builton a moral enterprise. And states don’t have the right to tramp over thosebecause of the Tenth Amendment. Leaving aside the fact that he inaccuratelyportrayed Rep. Paul’s stance, it is obvious that Santorum is no Tenther, butrather a power-loving thug looking to impose his personal set of morals andvalues on any people living under whatever level of government he can use toaccomplish his goals. In this respect, he’s hardly different from BarackObama at all. Obviously, Santorum has either not read or understood the TenthAmendment — included in the Constitution which he has on several occasionssworn an oath to support and defend — which provides for the very things he iscriticizing.

States do have the ability, under the constitutional systemthe Founders put in place, to “do wrong.” They have the sovereign authority todecide whatever they wish on whatever matters they like, provided that thisauthority has not already been delegated to the federal government, or has notbeen explicitly denied them in the Constitution.

For as we read in the Tenth Amendment, “The powers notdelegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to theStates, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

In Federalist 45, James Madison provides a well-known quoteregarding the balance between federal and state powers:

The powersdelegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few anddefined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous andindefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, aswar, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power oftaxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the severalStates will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs,concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internalorder, improvement, and prosperity of the State.

Nowhere does Madison describe the Constitution as empoweringthe federal government to intervene in a state’s affairs when it is believed byothers to be “doing wrong.” Indeed, the very purpose of the Tenth Amendment isto enable states to retain the authority and ability to do stupid things (and hopefullygood things, too). For if the other states can, through the federal government,force another state to not do something they consider to be “wrong,” then whatcan that federal government not do?

Another common attempt used by nationalists to impose in onefell swoop what they otherwise would have to introduce in 50 different statesis to authoritatively affirm, simply, that we are “a nation.” It was notablyused in the last presidential cycle by Governor Huckabee who claimed that “…we areone nation. We can’t be divided. We have to be one nation under God. That meansif we make a mistake, we make it as a single country.” Without qualifying theseremarks with the constitutional limits placed upon the federal government — andthus describing what that “nation” can and cannot do — support is manufacturedfor policies that have no authority, yet which are then imposed upon everybody.

The federal government was created by the states, and unlessexplicitly denied the authority, states retain the ability to pass dumb laws —even horrible ones. In fact, many already do! It is up to theindividuals in that state to fix those laws and improve their government. It is not the right or duty of their neighbors to use the federalgovernment to correct their behavior/

When we sit back for a moment and recognize that the federalgovernment already claims the power to require to you to purchase healthinsurance, to tell you what size toilet you can have, what kind of plants youcan grow in your back yard, what kind of light bulb you can use, and so muchmore – don’t we realize there’s already too much federal power? Forpeople like Obama and Santorum, it sure doesn’t seem that way.

The examples mentioned here are unfortunately not meredoublethink. They are constitutional treason. They are violations of the oathof office to support and defend that document, and they are either ignorant orintentionally destructive attempts to impose upon an entire nation of peoplethings that should be left up to them to decide.

In doublethink, writes Orwell, “the lie always one leap aheadof the truth.” It is true that the Tenth Amendment is important, that thefederal government should be restrained, and that the Constitution should beupheld. Unfortunately, most of the politicians promoting these truths are doingso in the shadow of their contradicting lies which run totally contrary tothose positions.

Thus did Orwell also write that political prose is crafted“to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearanceof solidity to pure wind.” Voter beware.

Connor Boyack is the state chapter coordinator for the Utah TenthAmendment Center. He is a web developer, political economist, and social mediaconsultant changing the world one byte at a time. Read his blog or follow him onTwitter.

Labor Day 2011

2011-09-05T07:52:00.001-05:00

It is raining in north Alabama. I think it is raining all over the Southeast. As I look across Lake Guntersville, I can only see a few hundred yards. The fog and rain are keeping me from seeing clearly. The lake is rough, and I am glad that I am not outside. This is not a pretty picture. This is not why I built my house here, but it is why my house has a firm foundation and a solid roof. Luckily, I know more than what the current conditions tell me. I know that someday the clouds will clear, the lake will calm, and the view from my window will be beautiful. I will once again venture out onto the lake to enjoy life.

Everyone experiences storms in their life. Some are minor storms, and some are major storms. While the sun is shining, prepare for the storms, for they will come. Create. Earn. Save. Do what you can do to insure that you can weather the storms. Do not depend on someone else to take care of you. Your ship will come in only if you have built a secure harbor with a shining beacon to guide it to you. The only things that will accidentally wash up on your shore are shipwrecks.

Our country is in the midst of a storm this Labor Day. The economy is bad. The housing market is bad. Many people are unemployed. Businesses are afraid to spend. I believe the culprit is too much government. Although I strongly disagree with the policies of the current administration, both major parties have created the problems that are killing our nation. Both Republicans and Democrats have grown government and ignored our Constitution. The responsibilities of the Federal Government are clearly enumerated and limited in our Constitution. Everything else belongs to the States, or to the People. We cannot expect nor do we need someone else (the Feds) to take care of us. The less the Feds give to us, the less we will be forced to give them. I know that I can spend my money better than Washington can. The out-of-control Federal Government is the problem with our economy. If we cannot right the Ship of State, it will sink, and it will take us with it!

You need to do three things this Labor Day in order to get our Nation back on the right track. 1. Commit to create, earn and save for your own well-being. You cannot depend on anyone else to take care of you. 2. Commit to work to elect Constitutional Conservatives to local, state and federal office next November. I believe both liberals and conservatives can trust our Constitution to be the beacon that will guide our nation back to liberty and prosperity. 3. Commit to turn (back) to God and pray asking Him to cleanse your heart both personally and ours as a nation, and to forgive us for removing Him and His Son from our daily lives. It was God's blessings that created this nation. It will be His blessings that calm the rough waters we are experiencing now.

Donations, Donations, Donations

2011-08-05T14:50:00.000-05:00

I have donated to: Ron Paul, The Tea Party Patriots, Paul Bussman, and the Republican Party. I am no longer a supporter of the Republican Party, primarily because of how their leadership in D.C. believes it is more important to get re-elected than to it is to do what is best for America. Boehner and his cronies had the opportunity to STOP our government's out-of-control spending, but instead they passed a reduction in the rate of the future increases of their spending. They are RINOs, and will hopefully be thrown out of office in 2012. My Congressman, Robert Aderholt, also voted in favor of the debt deal. I will campaign against him in 2012 if there is a candidate running who supports Constitutional government, fiscal responsibility, and free-market capitalism. Amazingly, both of my Senators voted against the debt deal.

I do support some statesmen who are Republicans. I am supporting Ron Paul for President. I hope he wins the GOP primary. If not, I think his candidacy will impact the Republican platform and help other Constitutional Conservatives win spots in the House and Senate.

I just received another solicitation for a donation from MicheleBachman, Presidential candidate. I will not give to her candidacy. She should be supporting the Father of the Tea Party, Ron Paul.

Don't Raise the DEBT Limit!

2011-07-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

Here is an email I sent to my Congressman and Senators today:

Dear Senator Sessions, Senator Shelby, and Congressman Aderholt,

I have earned a lot of money in my life. Wisely, I have spent less than I have earned. There have been emergencies over the years where I have had to go in to debt. I also have purchased homes using a mortgage. In both instances, not only prudence on my part, but realistic restrictions on the part of my lenders, have limited how deep into debt I could go. Because of these limitations, I have always been able to repay my debts. Personally. I have never had to have my children, or even other citizens with more money than me, bail me out.

Regretfully, our Federal Government is not only unwise concerning how it spends my money, it also has the ability to borrow much more than is wise. And it has done so. For some idiotic reason, there is now a current move to increase our national debt limit in order to prevent an economic crisis. Again. The analogy of trying to put out a fire with gasoline is very fitting. What fool really thinks that adding to the debt will decrease it? How will giving the federal government more of my money teach it to be more prudent with how it spends?

I urge you to lobby the House/Senate to NOT increase the debt limit! Make the government live within its means. We all know the threat of default on the US debt has nothing to do with raising the debt limit. There is plenty money in the current revenue stream to pay the obligations on our debt, as well as to maintain all of the Constitutionally required services provided by the government.

Will not raising the debt limit hurt? You bet. Will a lot of the government handouts and unconstitutional departments have to be done away with? You bet. Not raising the debt limit will force the government to live within its means, and it will force the shrinking of the government. Both of these things will go a long way toward insuring that both our economy and our nation remain vibrant and free.

Thank you for your service,

Bobby Taylor
1501 Stadium Dr. NE
Cullman, AL 35055

Things

2011-06-22T20:30:00.000-05:00

I was born in 1956, just about in the middle of the Baby Boom generation. By the time I was a senior in high school, Veit Nam was winding down, most hippies had cut their hair, and Nixon had resigned. The Beatles were already gone, and the Space Race was over. Teenagers were already moving from motorcycles to cars, and the cassette tape was the new technology replacing 8-tracks. We had one television in the house, and it was a color set (however, you still specified that it was color, because there were still a lot of black & white sets around.) We had expanded from three channels to five, but all were free via our antenna. We had one phone in our house, although a lot of people had an extension phone.

My grandparents had upgraded to an in-door toilet only a few years earlier (about the same year we landed on the moon.) I had an uncle and aunt who not only still used an outhouse, but they had just recently got electricity. Although my dad worked at a "plant", he also farmed. I helped. A lot. It was not unusual at all for me to get home from school and then get on the tractor and plow until after dark. Of course, on Saturday it was farming all day long. When I was about 14 or 15, my older brother and I planted an acre of okra to sell to the local farmers' market. It was my first entreuprenural endeavor. It required a lot of hard, hot work, but we made good money.

I had a happy childhood.

Why now do I spend over $100/month on cable television? Why do I have a color TV in almost every room of my house? Why do I have several phone extensions in my house, as well as a cellular telephone in my pocket? Why do I live in a house at least twice a big as my parents, but I have only half as many kids? Not only do I not farm, I hire someone to spray my house for bugs, someone else to cut my grasss, and someone else to maintain my pool.

Am I happier than I was when I was a teenager?

The US Is Failing

2011-05-27T08:20:00.000-05:00

America was great because it was founded on Christian principles and the morality of the Holy Bible that permeated our whole society. Although they were certainly unChristian and immoral actions taken by individuals within the country, and even though our government sometimes did bad things, the basis of our nation, the very blueprint for our being, was the moral code outlined in the Old and New Testaments. Anyone who denies this truth has not read the hundreds of documents written by our founding fathers. The Bible's moral code is clearly engrained within our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence of the United States Constitution. God blessed America.

Our country is now faltering, ready to fall. We are no longer the envy of the world. Our government is in shambles, but no one recognizes the cause of the decay. Here is what I believe is causing the downfall of our country:

We removed the mother from the home, letting someone else raise our children.We removed prayer and God from the school, allowing other doctrines to be taught.We legalized abortion, putting self before the good of others.We normalized and sensationalized sex, breaking down the bedrock of the family unit.We made homosexuality moral, stretching the bounds on other moral bounderies.We took away personal responsibility, and replaced it with government control.We now accept immoral behavior in our families, our communities, and our government.

We are also beginning to no longer support Israel. The Bible promises that God will bless those who are a friend of Israel, and curse those who are her enemies. That is a promise that is repeated many times in the Bible. If you are a Christian or a Jew, you must believe this promise.

I believe that God is no longer blessing America. It does not matter how many times our politicians include the mandatory "God bless America" at the end of their speeches. It does not matter how many prayers are offered to a "higher power." We the people of the United States of America, must turn back to the Bible and the absolute moral guidelines clearly outlined therein. Jesus Christ is the only way to gain enternal life, and following his teachings, and teaching them to your children, is the only way to save America.

Pray for Israel. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And pray for America. But do not waste your time praying to a "higher power." Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, is the The Way.

It Once Was Good

2010-12-21T10:08:00.001-06:00

Walking to work. It once was good, but no more.
Riding a horse to work. It once was good, but no more.
Taking a carriage to work. It once was good, but no more.
Taking a streetcar to work. It once was good, but no more.
Taking a car to work. It works for now.

Things change. Just because something used to be good, does not mean that it always will be. Someday, some type of mass transit will replace the private car in many areas.

Get a job. Join a Union. It once was good, but no more.

Things change. Unions had a place during the early industrial revolution as workers moved from the field to the factory. Most early factory workers were uneducated and uninformed. Employment laws had not yet caught up with the move from an agrarian rural lifestyle to one based around big, urban employers. Workers needed to band together to protect against unfair and unjust treatment. The Unions worked.

But worker protection is no longer the primary goal of the Unions. Money, politics and control of the worksite are now the most important things to the Union bosses. Unions are the primary tool of the progressive/socialists in achieving their goal of wealth redistribution. The "good of the worker" is merely a campaign slogan to increase the dues co-opted from the membership in order to be able to finance the real objectives of the Union bosses.

Workers are no longer uneducated and uninformed. There are more than enough laws on the books to protect workers today. Unions should be allowed to exists as any other organization is allowed to exist. However, all laws favoring Unions and giving them special powers should be repealed. Just as I pay dues to the NRA and NESA, I can pay dues to a Union if I want to. However, my membership in the NRA has nothing to do with whether I can work for a certain company, and my employer certainly does not have to deduct my NESA dues from my paycheck.

A letter to my Senator

2010-12-13T14:45:00.000-06:00

December 13, 2010

The Honorable Richard Shelby

United States Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510-0103

RE: Your letter dated November 29, 2010

Dear Senator Shelby,

Thank you for responding to my letter concerning federal spending and earmarks. I appreciate your need to “bring home the bacon” to your constituents in Alabama, and you have certainly been successful over your career in doing just that. However, the spending in Washington must stop. Every time Congress votes to spend more money (i.e. grow the government), we the people lose more of our liberty. That loss comes through more regulation and/or higher taxes. Every time. No exceptions.

The problem with earmarks is not that you are simply allocating money already “spent” to your pet projects, but that in many instances the earmarks are added to other legislation in order to entice those voting on the bills to vote in favor of a bill that otherwise they would vote against. If a project has merit, then craft your bill and bring it to the floor for a vote. If you want to increase funding for national security, rural health care, secondary education, and law enforcement and drought relief as you state in your letter, then vote on those items. It is shameful that these worthwhile projects have to be treated as bribes in order to get other unrelated legislation passed.

The problem with our government is not a shortage of taxes. It is spending. Spending will never be reduced until men of character are willing to give up their pork in order to show others the more patriotic way! Because of the severe shortage of character in Washington, I pray that you will support a Balanced Budget Amendment when it comes before the U.S. Senate. As was evidenced by the recent election, the American People want Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free-market Capitalism. If you are not willing to fight for these three things, then I ask that you do the patriotic thing and resign from the U.S. Senate. If you are willing to fight to save our economy and our country, then may God Bless You.

Sincerely,

Quotes by an Economist and Patriot

2010-12-05T12:25:00.000-06:00

Famous quotes by economist and patriot Milton Friedman. My favorite is at the bottom.

"The most important single central fact about a free market is that no exchange takes place unless both parties benefit."

"Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as he spends his own. Nobody uses somebody else's resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness, if you want knowledge to be properly utilized, you have to do it through the means of private property."

"Governments never learn. Only people learn."

"So the question is, do corporate executives, provided they stay within the law, have responsibilities in their business activities other than to make as much money for their stockholders as possible? And my answer to that is, no they do not"

"The only way that has ever been discovered to have a lot of people cooperate together voluntarily is through the free market. And that's why it's so essential to preserving individual freedom."

"Most economic fallacies derive - from the tendency to assume that there is a fixed pie, that one party can gain only at the expense of another."

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

"What kind of society isn't structured on greed? The problem of social organization is how to set up an arrangement under which greed will do the least harm; capitalism is that kind of a system"

"The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither. The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both."

Registration, Certification or Licensure?

2010-11-23T07:55:00.002-06:00

I believe in a free-market economy. In order to have one, government regulation must be kept to an absolute minimum. The market, or peoples' willingness to purchase, should be the controlling factor as to the success of a product or service. Whether your product is "approved" by any governing body should have little, if any, ability to control your right to offer such product or service. How do Registration, Certification, and Licensure affect a free-market economy?

Registration - The listing of a thing in order to keep track of it. If by government, in order to know how many exist and in order to tax. If by private parties, in order to be associated or known with that thing. Registration is not used to control the quality or quantity of something.

Certification - Attesting to the fact that a thing meets a certain standard. Certification standards can be created by private entities (i.e. Good Housekeeping, Microsoft) or by the government (i.e. OSHA, EPA.) The claim "Certified" lets the public know that you meet the standard set by the certifying organization. Certification normally is not used to control the quantity of something, but does advertise a minimum quality.

Licensure - The granting of a privilege not available to all. If by government or another official body, used to restrict the quantity of a thing (i.e Doctors and Lawyers must be Licensed.) The licensing body is usually made up of practitioners of the profession to be licensed, who have an inherent interest in restricting competition in the profession. Some licensing bodies are private (American Medical Association), while some are quasi-government or government agencies (State Bar.) Although often claiming to be concerned with quality, Licensure is most used to control quantity in a profession.

Registration is good when used to help the public to find a product or service. Registration is necessary if the government wants to tax a certain product or service. Voluntary certification allows a product or service to set itself apart from or above those not certified. Certification allows the public to believe that a product or service meets the minimal standard required by the Certification. Registration and Certification can be good for the market when not abused. Abuse normally comes in the form of some type of Licensure.

Licensure is bad for a free-market economy. In order to be free, the market for a product or service must be decided by the public's willingness to purchase it, not by a group who, in almost every instance, have their own interest, and not those of the public, at heart. Why is healthcare so expensive? Because the American Medical Association, made up of doctors already well-established in the profession, control the number of doctors (competitors) that are allowed in the market. They do this, not by setting standards, but by setting quotas. In fact, the AMA has done such a good job of controlling competition that they are able to not only restrict where a doctor may practice and what field the doctor is allowed to practice in, but even if the prospective student is allowed to attend medical school (the medical school also has to be licensed by the AMA.) The State Bars are even worse. Why do you think lawyers are able to charge $200, $300, $400 PER HOUR or even more for their expertise? It is because the Bar can do everything the AMA can do, and in addition, their members write the laws and regulations that assure there is no competition for services.

The requirement to be Licensed is leading us into a caste system not seen since medieval times, and it is restricting our free-market. When those already in the profession can control who is allowed in the profession, competition will always be restricted and prices will always be high. Those in control will be enriched, while those wanting to provide the product or service and not accepted will be forced into other fields. In addition, new products and new techniques, especially those "outside the box", will be stymied as those in control are reluctant to change, and those with the new ideas are afraid of being kicked out of the club.

Personal and Economic Freedom

2010-10-24T16:05:00.002-05:00

Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, Free-market Capitalism. These three things are not three independent goals. They go hand in hand. You cannot have them separately. They are THE goal of Constitutional Conservatives and most who associate with the Tea Party movement (you know, those racist, bigot, extremist idiots who should be called terrorist, at least according to the main-stream media and those in power.)

Limited government interference and regulation sets the citizen free to pursue life, liberty and happiness, while it sets the entrepreneur free to start and grow a business, powering our economy and creating jobs and wealth. The only reason for a government to grow is so that it has more control of our lives. Every time Congress votes to spend more money (i.e. grow the government), we the people lose more of our liberty. That loss comes through more regulation and/or higher taxes. Every time. No exceptions.

Fiscal responsibility insures that we are paying our own way, and are beholding to no one. Although the Bible does not condemn or forbid debt, it does give some very wise counsel: Deuteronomy 28:12: The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. Proverbs 22:7: Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. Just like you and me, it is in our nation's best interest to not be in debt. Just like you and me, our nation should be mature enough to live within its means. The more government grows, the more it spends. The more it spends, the more it must raise our taxes, unless it goes into debt. So just what is government debt? It is the outward proof of the inner cowardice of our government that keeps it from saying NO to spending, while at the same time not having the guts to vote for tax increases.

Free-market capitalism is the engine and the proof, the cause and the effect, of a free people and a free nation. Without personal freedom, the free-market will disappear. Without a free-market, personal freedom can not exist.

Common Ground

2010-10-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

Business Owners

Investors
Religious Right
Social Conservatives
National Rifle Association
Home Schoolers
Parental Rights Advocates
Libertarian Party
Conservative Advocacy Groups
Tea Parties
Many Tax Payers
Constitutional Conservatives

What do they all want from their government? They ask for nothing, except to be left alone!

Slavery

2010-10-12T08:47:00.001-05:00

Slaves worked hard all day at a job, giving most, if not all, to their "benefactor." It didn't matter how hard a slave worked, for the master gave equally to all his slaves. Slaves had to accept, and could only have, the care that their benefactor allowed them to receive. They couldn't decide what kind of trade to practice without the master's permission. The slave had to eat what the master told them to eat, for the master always knows best. For giving their entire lives and livelihood and freedom to the master, the slaves expected to have their needs met all their lives. However, there was no guarantee, and usually they were mistreated and forgotten as the master's economic situation changed. After all, they were but slaves, and what was good for the master was the most important thing, the greater good.

Americans work hard all day at a job, giving most, it not all, to their government. It does not matter how hard you work, for the government gives equally to all its citizens. Americans have to accept, and can only have, the care that their government allows them to receive. They can't decide what kind of trade to practice without the government's permission. Americans have to eat what the government tells them to eat, for the government always knows best. For giving their entire lives and livelihood and freedom to the government, Americans expect to have their needs met all their lives. However, there is no guarantee, and we will be mistreated and forgotten as the government's economic situation changes. After all, we are but citizens, and what is good for the government is the most important thing, the greater good.

We fought a war to free the slaves once. Will it be required again? Only your VOTE will tell.

Personal Responsibility and Freedom

2010-10-08T11:26:00.001-05:00

Thankfully, we are now starting to hear a lot about upholding the Constitution and protecting the freedoms that it guarantees. We want limited government as required by the Constitution. We want fiscal responsibility by our government, and we want free-market capitalism. When we get these things, we should have a vibrant economy and a happy nation. Right?

Well, there is always the other side of the coin. In order to have limited government and fiscal responsibility, we must do away with, or at least reduce, the out-of-control entitlement spending by the government. That means less medicaide and medicare. It means less social security, and probably at a later age. It means fewer food stamps and other forms of welfare. I hope it also means the closing and dismantling of most federal Departments including Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, Interior, Transportation and Veteran Affairs. Any functions of these Departments required or desired to be continued will be handled by the States (Defense will handle Veterans Affairs.) That leaves the Departments of (interstate) Commerce, Defense and Homeland Security, Justice, State and Treasury to handle the enumerated powers. Of course, replacing the income tax and the IRS with the Fair Tax will also help, as will abolishing the Federal Reserve.

What will be required of us, the citizens, if we are to achieve the limited federal government, fiscal responsibility and free-market capitalism we are voting for? We must once again expect Americans to exercise Personal Responsibility, be Morally Honest, and show Charity. For we cannot hold our politicians to a higher standard than we hold ourselves, and we must expect these American Traits from our Statesmen.

We can be free and happy. Lets do it!

The Basis

2010-10-06T19:36:00.000-05:00

What does "basis" mean? The basis is the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained. It is the score from which the song is played. Without knowledge of the basis, chaos will emerge. It has been said that poetic text is the basis for music. I do not know if that is true, or if I agree, or if I disagree. I do not even know what I would want to be the basis for music if I could choose. I just do not know. But I know I like music. I know that music is orderly. I know that music has certain standards and laws that determine how it works. I know that styles of music may change, but the foundation, the basis, MUST remain the same, or it is just noise, not music. I can enjoy the fruits of music without knowing the basis. But in order to create music, I must know the basis. In order to judge music, I must know the basis. In order for future generations to continue creating and enjoying music, the basis must be taught to new artists.

The basis of the United States is the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The basis of these founding documents is the Holy Bible. These are verifiable facts. There are hundreds of documents that confirm these fundamental assumptions. Our forefathers stated their beliefs clearly, even in the face of death. There was no "politi-speak." They did not talk around the truth, and they did not waiver in their convictions. They were Statesmen, not politicians. I can like living in the United States and enjoy its sweet song without knowing the basis of our country. But in order for our country to survive, someone must remember the basis upon which it is built. If we forget the basis, chaos will emerge, and future generations will never know the beauty that is America.

Now is the time to remember the basis that makes our country great. We must study the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Holy Bible to insure that we are able to give our children and grandchildren the same opportunities that we have to live, grow and succeed in the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America. We must elect Statesmen who know the basis of our country and promise to uphold the legacy provided by our founding fathers.

Vote November 2, 2010. Vote for Constitutionally limited government, fiscal responsibility, and free-market capitalism.

American Statesmen

2010-10-04T07:03:00.000-05:00

The mid-term elections are in four weeks. We will see if the people of the United States really care about the future of their country. As I have said before, I believe that it is just as important that we have a high voter turnout then it is that only "conservatives" vote. I believe that the people are smart enough to know that we must change our country's direction, and it is only by voting that the change can happen.

I Hope we can effect Change. Hope and Change; quite the catchy phrase, isn't it. Who would have thought the politicians who sold us on Hope and Change, promising to Fundamentally Change America, would also so flagrantly violate the oath to Protect and Defend the U.S. Constitution while forcing an anti-Constitution agenda on the American People? But they have, and we must send the message that we insist that the Constitution be protected and followed.

There are hundreds of issues that need to be discussed and addressed. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents all have their platforms and talking points. Red and Yellow, Black and White, and Brown, all have issues that need to be discussed and addressed. Male and Female, Straight and Gay, Christian and Jew and Muslim and Atheist all have issues that need to be discussed and addressed. Industrialist and Conservationist, Hunters and Vegans, Auburn Football fans and Other Football fans, all have issues that need to be discussed and addressed (I apologize if I left out your group or cause.) But there are only three things that must guide our voting this election:

1. Limited Federal Government.
2. Fiscal Responsibility.
3. Free-market Capitalism.

Insure that everyone you vote for will stand in support of these three things. For if we have these three things, we can find solutions for all of our other problems. If we do not have these three things, then our country will fail and someone else will be imposing their will on the American people. By insuring, we must also insist that what they said to get elected is also what they do once in office. American in name only will no longer cut it! We need American Statesmen, not politicians. All American Statesmen must put the Constitution first when deciding every issue.

Who To Vote For

2010-09-15T20:12:00.001-05:00

The primaries are behind us, and the 2010 mid-term elections are only weeks away. In most instances, you will have the choice to vote for a Republican or a Democrat. In some instances, there will be an Independent, a Libertarian, or perhaps some other obscure party represented. It will be great if there is a candidate on the ballot whose beliefs and platform meld perfectly with your plan for America and your social and spiritual beliefs. Of course, that candidate needs to be just about perfect so that no one will be able to sling any "mud" his or her way. However, that will not be the case.

No one is perfect. Everyone has made mistakes. Not only are your fingerprints unique to you, so is your vision of the perfect candidate. You will not find a candidate with whom you agree on every issue. Instead, you must determine the key issues that are the most important to you, rate them in importance, and then find the candidate who will best represent you. Here are my "platform" issues, ranked in importance to me. Hopefully you will agree with some. I am sure you will have others. What is number one on my list may be number ten on yours. That is OK.

Uphold the Constitution as written by our founding fathers and interpreted in their writings
Limit Federal Government as demanded and outlined in the Constitution/Return power to the States
Promote Free-Market Capitalism
Fiscal Responsibility/Reduce Spending
Reduce Taxes/Abolish the IRS/Implement the Fair Tax
Reduce Federal Regulation/Abolish most Cabinet Level Departments (move them back to the states)
Maintain a strong National Defense/Reduce foreign deployments
Protect our Borders/Enforce current Immigration Law

Although I am a Christian, you will notice that I do not mention any moral issues or abortion. You will also notice that I do not mention roads, energy, national parks or farm subsidies. Once power is returned to the individual states and our laws are brought back into compliance with the Constitution, each state will be able to pass the laws its residents desire. If you want to smoke dope and marry your "partner", move to California. If you want to live in a dry county in the Bible Belt, move to Alabama. If you want mandatory recycling, move to Vermont. I believe in a United States where the states compete for residents by passing laws and providing the services that its citizens want and are willing to pay for. Mississippi's schools may not be as good as Florida's, but they are not now. If the citizens of Mississippi want better schools, they can vote to raise taxes, reduce spending elsewhere, or get more involved in the process. It is not Oregon's or Ohio's responsibility to improve the schools in Mississippi. The states should be able to compete for business and for their population. It is not the Federal Government's job to "level the playing field" or to redistribute the wealth of America among the states (as has been the case for the last 100 years) or among their people (as has been the case since FDR.) If the citizens of Connecticut want to give free health-care and early retirement to its citizens, then they can expect an influx of immigrants (both foreign and domestic.)

I believe in personal responsibility. Then community responsibility. Then State responsibility. And lastly, Federal responsibility. Luckily, the Constitution clearly outlines what the Federal Government's responsibility is to its citizens. Read it, and then vote for the candidates who most closely represent your views and beliefs.

2010 Mid-Term Elections

2010-09-15T13:21:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read the United States Constitution? It is really a pretty simple document, especially the Articles and Bill of Rights (the first ten Amendments.) The website U.S. Constitution is a great site in that it provides links to notes within the body of the document, and highlights changes (amendments) made to the text you are reading. Every American citizen, and those wanting to gain citizenship, should not only read, but also study, the U.S. Constitution, for it is the guiding light that has illuminated our country's path to greatness.

Our country is at a crossroads. The current administration (and to a lesser extent many administrations since the 1900s) have decided that more government and fewer individual liberties and less personal responsibility is the way of the future. The Obama administration has told us in both word and deed that it wants to FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE AMERICA. They are disregarding our Constitution. They are taking more and more power away from individuals and the states and usurping it for themselves. Not only has the Executive Branch overstepped the bounds of its authority as delegated in the Constitution, Congress has completely failed in its job of limiting Executive power by controlling the purse strings. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have completely abandoned their role as the protectors of the Constitution and the citizens!

The 2010 mid-term elections will be a referendum on the spirit of the American People. If only 30% to 40% of our voters turn out, then most likely the incumbents will stay in power, Obama will get his way, and our country as we know it will no longer exist. We will lose our ability to have individual liberty and to take personal responsibility for our families and our lives. However, if a large majority turns out and votes, then chances are there will be a major turnover in Congress, and even those remaining will understand that Americans are not going to stand idly by and watch the fundamentals of government change from being based on the Constitution to being based on a progressive/socialist agenda.

Limited Government. Fiscal Responsibility. Free-Market Capitalism. These are what made America great! This is what our Congress must work for as it upholds our Constitution.

May God Bless America.

Bear hunting with Alaska-Adventures

2010-08-25T16:30:00.000-05:00

After spending Sunday night at the lodge and enjoying a couple of great meals prepared by Rocky, Sharon, Sunny (the youngest (19) of Rocky and Sharon's four daughters) and Nancy, Bill and I loaded my stuff back into the 206 and we headed for Aniak. Yes, it was still raining and windy. We had to fly around some of the mountains because the ceiling was so low. I am grateful that Bill delivered me safely every time we flew. I then flew back to Anchorage via PenAir, once again staying at the Puffin Inn overnight. As soon as I got checked in, I called Knight's Taxidermy in Anchorage and arranged for the owner, Russell Knight, to come pickup me and my bears. He arrived in short order and took me to his shop (more closely resembling a factory.) There were mounts and hides and skulls everywhere. His is a world-class taxidermy studio, proved by the works in progress of animals from all over the globe (he even had a giraffe in the showroom.) He took my bears and assured me that I would have two beautiful rugs in only eight to twelve months! He asked if I needed a ride back to the Inn. I did.

The atmosphere at Alaskan-Adventures on the Holitna River is very Christian oriented. Rocky is the son of a missionary who, although he admits to sowing some wild oats in his younger days, has spent most of his life trying to live for The Lord just as his father did. The slogan of his hunting and fishing guide business is "Restoration Through Recreation." According to his first book, "Wild Men, Wild Alaska", experiencing God's creation at its rawest and sometimes most dangerous level is one of the best ways to truly feel the power of our Creator. Rocky believes that by giving men an opportunity to be rid of the distractions of life while thrilling to the natural world of remote Alaska, they can renew their inner fire to live a better professional, personal and spiritual life. Did I feel closer to The Lord after my hunting experience? I did.

While at Alaskan-Adventures, I shared the lodge for one day with a group of fishermen from an organization called Stadia, a Christian Church planting organization. These men (about 15) had Bible study each morning before heading out on the river to fish. I really enjoyed their company. They are someway connected (although I am not sure how) to the Church Development Fund, a credit union type organization that only loans to build churches. One of their head guys was also fishing. I found it very comforting to know that even in remote Alaska, Christians were all around me. We prayed before meals, and we prayed and offered thanks after taking my bears. All in all, I had a great time in Alaska on my bear hunt. I really did!

I get my Black Bear

2010-08-24T08:52:00.003-05:00

After harvesting a grizzly bear the previous morning, My guide Jeff and I floated the Holitna River for a day and a half looking for black bear. We didn't see any bears of any color. Because of all the unusually heavy rain that most of Alaska has been getting for the past month (it was still raining), the river was about 8 feet higher than normal, and it was adversely affecting both hunting and fishing. Because salmon naturally die after spawning, the river bank would normally be covered with dead fish drawing in the bears. However, the high water was washing everything away, evidently causing most bears to look elsewhere for the food they would need in order to pack on the fat needed to survive the winter. When Bill arrived in the 185 at about 4 pm, he told me to load up my gear and get ready to head to the hills. I did.

Bill and Jeff where in the front two seats of the Cessna, and I was behind them with the gear. We flew west from the river for about 20 minutes. Bill and Jeff looked to be discussing where to put us, as I was looking for a runway. As we were flying over rolling tundra, Bill decided to land. No runway lights. No runway. No nothing. He just landed on a flat spot on the side of a mountain. Jeff and I unloaded the plane and Bill took off, leaving me and my guide alone in the wilderness. We spent the next hour setting up our spike camp which consisted of two tents and a dining fly because it was still raining. In order to block as much wind as possible, we put our tents in a small group of scrub spruce trees about five feet tall. It helped, but not much. We ate a hot dinner of rice and breakfast sausage. Jeff asked if I wanted some raspberry-lemon mix for my water. I did.

After a long night of heavy rain and gusting wind, I awoke a little stiff from having only the tent floor, a tarp, and a sleeping bag under me. Jeff heard me moving around and told me that I might as well stay in the bag as the visibility was only about 10 feet. I peaked out and confirmed his assessment. Because of the rule prohibiting hunting the same day after flying, we had not hunted the previous evening (it stays light until about 11 pm.) Our plan was to move up to a high ridge this morning and start glassing (using binoculars) for black bear. Obviously, that was not going to happen, at least not right away. I spent the day dozing, snacking, reading, and enjoying the fact that I had my one man portable urinal with me. If I wanted to keep from having to go out in the wind and rain too often, I would have to use it. I did.

The weather lifted about 3 pm, and we headed for the ridge line. When we got high enough to be able to see the valleys and hillsides around us, we set down in the wind and light rain and started glassing. My Steiner 10x40 C5 Predator binoculars enabled me to closely examine every nook and cranny for about 5 miles to the east, south and west. After only about 15 minutes, Jeff spotted a bear on a hillside to the east, about 2 miles away. We watched it, continuing to scan the area for others. About 15 minutes later, I spotted another one in the opposite direction. It was moving to the right on a hillside about 3 miles distant. It soon moved out of sight, but reappeared about 15 minutes later further down the slope. Jeff setup his spotting scope to get a closer look at these two bears. After several minutes of watching and discussing, we decided to move on the bear that I had spotted to the west, as Jeff said that it was an average bear for the area and worthy of our attention. We packed up our gear and headed out across the tundra. It was open and fairly easy walking, although walking on the mushy tundra was a lot like walking on a lumpy mattress. We walked for about 2 miles parallel with the bears direction of movement in order to insure that the wind did not carry our scent in its direction. We would occasionally see the bear, and once we got past it (in relation to the wind), we turned down the slope and entered the dreaded willow bog that would have to be crossed in order to reach the bear on the facing slope. It was now about 6 pm. Jeff chambered a round in his rifle in order to be ready for whatever might appear in the jungle we were about to enter. He told me to keep my rifle safe without a round in the chamber. I did.

I am not 100% sure if I was in willows or alders. I think they both grow in the area, but it doesn't matter. Whatever I was trudging through was getting the best of me. There was no trail, and no opening through which I could pass. Every foot of progress required stepping over, around or on a branch between one and four inches in diameter. I could no longer tell if it was raining, as the leaves were loaded with water that came cascading down with every touch. The closer we got to the bottom of the slope, the deeper the water on the ground. I had on my hip waders, and my rain suit, but it really didn't matter. I was soaked from the inside with sweat, and from the outside with rain. The stream at the bottom was almost crotch deep, and moving fast. I inched across, hoping that I would not slip and fall, possibly damaging my rifle. I made it across, but only to find more jungle. Jeff would occasionally disappear from sight, but thankfully he would wait on me (did I mention that this was Jeff's 8th year as a Alaskan guide, and that he was about 15 years younger than me and in much better shape?) Suddenly a view to the hillside opened up, and there was the bear. Jeff had already scoped it and determined it to be 230 yards distant. He asked me where my rifle was zeroed? I told him at 200 yards. He said that I should be able to hit the bear from here, even though it required a standing shot while leaning against a tree. Without much thought, I said OK. I sighted on the bear, trying to control my heavy breathing. After several seconds, the bear turned broadside and Jeff said, "Shoot." I did.

Twice. The bear rambled into the brush to the left untouched. I had missed. Twice. Between the distance and my exhaustion of having just spent 90 minutes busting through the willow bog, I was unable to close the deal. Jeff said, "No problem. Come on." I followed. After another 20 minutes or so, I caught up with Jeff (actually he stopped to wait on me) and told him that we should give the bear a chance to settle down by stopping where we were for a few minutes. Jeff agreed and I took a much needed 15 minute breather. After the break we continued up the slope looking for the bear. As we moved up, we left the worst of the willow bog behind us and began to move over fairly open tundra. Suddenly, the bear appeared at about 250 yards up the slope. It was feeding away from us, so we crept closer. At 150 yards, I put my backpack on the ground and took up a prone firing position using my pack as support. The bear continued to feed. I continued to keep my crosshairs on him. He turned broadside. I fired. He fell. Dead. Jeff told me to take a break. I did.

It was 8:20 pm. The stalk on the bear had taken four hours and twenty minutes. I was exhausted, and exhilarated. We moved up to the bear, took pictures, and started skinning. Jeff did most of the work, estimating the bear to be about five and half feet. It was still windy and rainy. I removed my hunting shirt (soaking wet) and replaced it with my super poly jacket. I was immediately warmed. We started for camp at 10:30 pm, arriving just before midnight. Jeff asked if I wanted him to cook dinner. I told him I was going to get in the bag. The rain and wind kept Bill and his plane away for the next two days. We just chilled in our tents most of the time. I shot the grizzly on Tuesday, the black on Thursday, and finally got back to the lodge on Sunday morning, after sleeping four nights on the ground. Bill had to use the Super Cub to ferry us off the mountain one at a time because of the weather. When we got the lodge, Nancy asked if I wanted breakfast. I did.

{Coming Soon: I will wrap up the bear hunt in my next blog.}

My Alaskan Bear Hunt

2010-08-22T20:40:00.005-05:00

I departed Alabama on August 7, 2010. After about 12 hours of flying, I arrived in Anchorage. I spent two nights in Anchorage, giving myself plenty of time to make sure I had everything I needed, and to assure that if any of my baggage was delayed, I would be able to get it (it wasn't.) I departed Anchorage on PenAir Monday, August 9, heading for Aniak, a small village on the Kuskowim River in southwestern Alaska. It is amazing to me that a 30-passenger commercial flight would stop at such a small place. The weather was rainy and cool. As I entered the one-room airport terminal, an older gentlemen said, "You must be Bobby." I answered in the affirmative as he identified himself as Bill, my pilot from Alaskan-Adventures. I like old pilots. He told me to get my stuff and follow him. I did.

Bill and I walked across the tarmac to a Cessna 206, a single prop, wing-over, four-seater airplane that I later learned was the largest of three planes owned by Alaskan-Adventures. Bill loaded my gear, which consisted of a duffle bag containing my hip boots, clothes and sleeping bag, a daypack full of hunting optics and emergency and rain gear, and my rifle case, holding my Weatherby .300 magnum rifle with a Swarovski 2.5-10/56 scope. He then told me to get into the co-pilot's seat as he climbed into the pilot's and closed the door. As we were taxiing to the runway, Bill said I had better buckle up because it had been pretty windy on the way in. I did.

After a bumpy ride of about 45 minutes across what looked to me like deserted wilderness, we made an unscheduled stop at the village of Sleetmute so that Bill could check for mail. I stayed in the plane while Bill walked to the only post-office for about 100 miles in any direction (although we flew in and out of Sleetmute, I only saw five or six buildings, none of which looked like a post office to me.) The mail plane was delayed because of the weather, so there was no mail (which should tell you something about the flying conditions.) We then flew about 20 minutes south and landed at the Alaskan-Adventures Lodge at about 3 pm. We unloaded my gear as I was met by my guide Vern, his wife Nancy, the cook, and Rocky McElveen, the owner and Master Guide. I was told to remove my shoes as I entered the lodge. I did.

Opening day for Grizzly Bear in game management unit 19A, where I would be hunting, was the next day, August 10. Because of the Alaskan law that forbids hunting on the same day you have flown in an aircraft, I was going to be flying up the Holitna River about 100 miles to the main camp right away. After insuring that my licenses, tags and other paperwork were in order (and eating some very tasty salmon pate and moose stew provided by Rocky's wife Sharon), I took my gear to a cabin to change into my hunting clothes and separate out of my gear those items I would not be needing in the field (my wallet, i-Phone, money, gun case and travel clothes.) After about 90 minutes at the lodge, Bill, Vern and I loaded into the Cessna 185 and headed up river (the Cessna 185 is a single prop, wing-over, four-seater airplane that I was unable to tell from the 206, but is evidently a smaller plane.) After a nice ride up the river, we landed on a gravel bar beside two Civil War looking walled tents. I was told to move my gear into one of these tents and get ready to go fishing as Bill left to fly back to the lodge. I did.

The main camp consisted of the two walled tents mentioned, as well as two smaller guide tents, two 20' jon boats with jet props, a lot of fishing and cooking gear, and a really nice "reading" chair around back behind some bushes. I could look across the river and see about 25 miles to some beautiful mountains while seated on this, for lack of a better description, ventilated throne. There were bunk beds in the walled tents, and that is where I slept for the next two nights. Vern and I picked up some fishing gear and got in one of the boats and headed up stream. We would motor a while, and then stop and drift or anchor to fish. We caught King and Red Salmon, Arctic Char, and Grayling. We kept the King and Char and cooked them for supper later that night, as it did not get dark until about 11 pm. We also saw a sow grizzly with two cubs on the bank of the river, as well as several eagles and an otter. After eating, we prepared for tomorrow's hunt and headed for bed. Vern told me to get him up at 5 am if he wasn't already up. I did.

After a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, I got my hunting gear together and Vern and I headed downstream in the boat. Our tactic today was to float without power down the river and see if we could find any bears (Grizzly or Black, as I had tags for both.) Although we could use power when needed, Alaskan law forbids firing a gun from a boat under power. We quietly drifted downstream, enjoying the peace of the morning in the light rain. After about an hour of drifting, we rounded a bend in the river and spotted another sow on the bank, this one with triplets. After drifting to within about 50 yards, the mother noticed us, stood up to take a better look, and then split with a snort, followed closely by her three cubs. They were gone in a flash. We continued to drift. After about another half-hour, around 8 am, I noticed a head with ears crossing the river about 150 yards in front of us. "Vern, is that a griz swimming across the river?" He answered by cranking the boat and racing to get to the bear before it got to the bank. As he cut power to the engine, Vern told me that if it was a taker to shoot as soon as the bear left the water. I readied myself for the shot, but as the bear reached the bank of the river the current swung Vern's end of the boat between me and the bear. As the grizzly disappeared into the thick brush, I said, "Vern, you were between me and the bear, so I thought you might not want me to fire." He said, "It was too small anyway. Pat yourself on the back for not shooting." I did.

We continued down the river for another fifteen minutes. As we entered a long, sweeping bend in the river, we spotted a grizzly moving slowly along the far bank at about 250 yards. As we continued to slowly drift down towards the bear, it continued walking along the bank and eventually disappeared from sight behind a big pile of washed up logs. Using a paddle, Vern positioned the boat so that I had a clear line of fire to where we had seen the bear. We quietly discussed the merits of taking this bear, and we both decided that I would try if the opportunity was presented. Suddenly, the bear appeared on top of the pile of logs. Being only about 70 yards distant at this time, we could clearly see the Red Salmon in its mouth. I brought my rifle to my shoulder as the bear stood up to get a better look at us. I put my crosshairs on its chest and Vern said, "Shoot!" I did.

"Did you hit it?", asked Vern. "I should have", I replied. Vern powered up the boat and raced to the bank. He cut off the motor, threw the anchor on the log pile, grabbed his rifle, and sprinted up the pile of logs. I followed behind (only because of where I was positioned in the boat, not out of fear or anything like that.) "There's the dead fish. There's blood on this log. And there is a dead bear", Vern said as he looked beyond the pile of logs. Vern congratulated me on my bear. I congratulated him on my bear. He told me that this may have been the quickest and easiest grizzly he had ever taken. I told him that was alright with me. Opening day, one hour and fifty minutes into our hunt, from a drifting boat, one shot at 70 yards, and I had my Toklat Grizzly. Evidently I was about an inch too close to the bear when I fired, as Vern alerted me to the fact that I had a scope creep scratch on my nose that was bleeding. He asked if I wanted a band-aide? I did.

The bear was in a small creek and under water. Together we were able to pull the bear out of the water and onto the bank ready for skinning. However, first we took pictures. Lots of pictures. We then began skinning. Vern did most of the work, especially the fine and tedious work around the claws, ears, eyes and lips. I helped on the body and the legs. The entire skinning process took us about two hours. Vern estimated the bear to be about seven foot, weighing about 500 pounds. He said that it looked about average for the area. I thought it looked great. We loaded the pelt and skull (both are required to be removed from the field by Alaska law), and headed back up the river to camp. When we arrived, I was surprised to see Bill and his plane, as well as a father-son hunting duo and two guides. Bill had just ferried them off a mountain one at a time for a couple of days of fishing after hunting black bear for four days up in the hills (they had shot a black bear the day prior.) After introductions and a little bragging by those who had killed a grizzly (me), I was introduced to my Black Bear guide, Jeff. Vern took my pelt and skull and left with Bill for the lodge in the Super Cub, a two-seater, wing-over, single prop bush plane used for "no runway" insertions. Jeff and I hunted for black bear on the river the rest of that day and the next until about 3 pm. We did not see any bear, of any kind. Jeff asked if I wanted to go to the hills to look for a bear? I did.

[Coming Soon: My next blog will tell the story of the Black Bear Hunt]

Dreaming of a Bear Hunt

2010-08-21T10:13:00.001-05:00

Well, I finally did. After about 30 years of wishing, and about 10 years of actual planning, I went to Alaska and hunted bear. Here is the beginning of the story. I hope you enjoy it. I did.

One of my childhood memories was of the big brown bear rug at grandma Bailey's house. I heard it was a Kodiak Brown Bear shot by my uncle Urshel Bailey in the late '40s or early '50s. I do not know what happened to that rug, but I can still see those big teeth and claws that fascinated me as a young boy. I remember talking about bear hunting with my cousins as we played on the rug. Although I wasn't sure where Alaska was at the time, I knew I wanted to go there. So finally, I did.

Well, courtesy of the US Army, Kim and I got to actually live in Alaska from 1977 to 1980. Our third son, Matthew, was born there. I found time to do some fishing while we lived there, but I never hunted. I guess it had something to do with work, three small kids, and no money! After leaving Alaska, I became an Alaska "hobbiest." I read about Alaska. I dreamed about Alaska. Eventually, we traveled back to Alaska. We took an Alaska cruise. I went to fish. I went to snowmachine (that's snowmobiling for you Outsiders.) I went to see the sights. I kept dreaming about hunting in the Great Land. I was told to talk to people who had hunted in Alaska. I did.

For Christmas 2008, my wife gave me the book, "Wild Men, Wild Alaska", written by Rocky McElween, a Christian speaker and Alaskan big-game guide. Early in the book, he tells of an adventure he shared with a man named Ralph Meloon, Jr. Oh my goodness! What a surprise. I had attended church for more than ten years with Ralph Jr.'s father, Mr. Ralph Meloon. He is a grand old champion of the faith and a great business man. I am sure that everyone who meets Mr. Ralph feels just like I did; honored and humbled to have been able to speak with such a fine man. {You should google Ralph Meloon and Correct Craft to read the story of this man and his Christian witness in life and business.} Anyway, I immediately went online, found the website for Alaskan-Adventures, and contacted Rocky. I told him I was hoping to hunt, and he gave me some good pointers on how to make it happen. Did I get excited after reading his book? I did.

I sold my business in early 2009. One of the first things I did after that was to make the decision that I was going bear hunting in Alaska. I immediately started making plans. In order to hunt brown or grizzly bears in Alaska, you are required to use the services of a registered big-game guide. I called Rocky. The fall hunt of 2009 was out. How about spring 2010? Nope. How about opening week in August 2010? Right on. The hunt was on! I began the planning and training process. After all, the dream hunt was only sixteen months away. Do you think I bought any new gear? I did.

[Coming Soon: My next blog will tell the story of the Hunt]

115 Days

2010-07-09T06:15:00.001-05:00

Can I ask one person to cast their vote on November 2, 2010? Can I ask one person per day for the next 115 days? Can I ask those people to vote not for self, but for America? Can I remind them that America was built by doers, not takers? Can I remind them that America is strong because it is populated by citizens that are a strong, self-reliant and independent breed who do not want or need to be taken care of by their government? Can I ask them to support only those candidates who will fight for Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free-Market Capitalism? And can I ask YOU to do the same? Yes, I can!

Independence Day

2010-07-04T09:07:00.001-05:00

"To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled."
George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778

Less than two years after the signing of our Declaration of Independence, it seemed that the battle would be lost. Many men, many of them men of great wealth and position, had lost everything. Many had lost their livelihood. Many had lost their families. Many had lost their lives. The power of Great Britain was bearing down on the Colonies. The Tyrant was putting "his" rebellious children in their place. He knew what was best for them. They were but ignorant, helpless subjects who should have been grateful for his benevolence. Who were these people who thought they could reject his taxes? After all, he knew what was best. He knew what they needed. Did these mere subjects really think that freedom was a right, a right granted by God? Did they really think that government, his government, was supposed to listen to the people? He would show these scoundrels what happened to those who opposed his will. Like a father correcting his children, he would use the rod of oppression to insure that they did the good thing, the "greater good" thing. He would insure that they all regretted putting their names on that silly Declaration of Independence. Ha!

"For make no mistake, and let me make this perfectly clear, if the Citizens of the United States do not rise up and vote out of office all of those who disregard our Constitution and follow the path of socialism espoused by Obama and his Chicago-land thugs, we WILL lose our prosperity, our freedom, and our Country!"
Bobby Taylor at Cullman, Alabama, January 28, 2010

OK. I am no George Washington. I am just an average Citizen of the greatest country in the world. But I am a citizen who believes that our current government wants to subject us to their will, whether we want it or not. I believe our current government wants to redistribute the wealth of America, not to the poor as the say, but to their cronies and into their own pockets. I believe that our current government wants to destroy free-market capitalism so that they can control every facet of our lives. I believe that our current government thinks that its citizens are children who must be told what to do, what they can have, and how they are to live. It believes that we are not smart enough to spend our own money, or build our own businesses without their oversight and permission. Our current government believes that its decisions are better, and more powerful, than those of the creator of the Universe, the Most High God.

I urge everyone reading this to commit today, Independence Day 2010, to hold every elected official accountable to the Constitution of the United States. We must have Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free-Market Capitalism. These Three Things are what makes America great, and insures that our children and grandchildren are able to live, and grow, and have opportunity in the future. We must not let the sacrifices of all those at Valley Forge and all those who have fought and bled and died to protect our freedoms since July 4, 1776, be forgotten or to have been in vain.

Walking

2010-07-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

I went for a walk this morning. Left at 6:05. Returned at 7:05. I should have walked about 3.5 miles, but I don't know for sure. I went east on the sidewalk running along Highway 98 and the Gulf. I met several other walkers. I said, "Hello" to all. Some responded. Some did not. Some bicycle riders rode past me. I started sweating after about 20 minutes. It was not as humid as it has been at home. A couple of walkers had dogs. That made me miss Beasley.

I think someone had been to the store and bought some eggs. They must have been on a bicycle, because there were three or four eggs dropped on the sidewalk. From the looks of the evidence, I do not think the eggs were thrown, but rather dropped. It must have been recent, because I am sure some animal would have cleaned up the egg mess if it had been there a while. Although I like to eat eggs, I did not partake.

After walking east, I turned around and walked west. I had to do that in order to get back to where I started, as I did not have time to walk around the world. Inside, I turned on Fox News in order to get my blood pressure up. Don't get me wrong. I like Fox News. I just get so upset at how our Federal Government is disregarding our Constitution and our laws.

Bass Pro

2010-07-01T20:56:00.000-05:00

I went to the Bass Pro Shop yesterday. For someone who loves to fish, or hunt, or hike, or camp, or boat, or do just about anything in the outdoors, going to the Bass Pro Shop is better than, well, Disney World. In fact, if I ever won a gold medal and was asked what I was going to do next, I would shout, "I am going to the Bass Pro Shop!"

Yesterday I walked around for about an hour in the Bass Pro. That was really a short visit for me. I normally spend two to three hours whenever I get inside one of these great examples of outdoor excess (the closest one to my home is about 50 miles away.) I browsed mostly in the fishing and boating areas that day. I ended up buying about $30 worth of fishing lures (recommended by a fishing buddy who knows what he is doing.) I hope they help me to catch a big bass! I normally spend a good deal of time in the hunting and camping departments. In fact, I could almost open a hunting and camping store in my basement with the "stock" that is no longer in the Bass Pro Shop.

I used to be able to complain to my wife about spending so much time (and money) in the clothing stores. I guess I will have to lay off complaining to her about her shopping habits until I lick my Bass Pro Shop addiction.

The Ocean

2010-07-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

I am sitting in a condo on the beach in Destin, Florida. It is rainy outside, as the outer effects of Hurricane Alex are drifting through the area. It sounds like south Texas and northern Mexico are getting a lot of rain, but not too much damage. The waves coming ashore here are big enough to bring out the surfboards, but there are none. I do see a few kids playing at the waters edge. There is a woman in a bright red, one piece bathing suit. She has a figure like a pear. I'll bet the gentleman with her loves her, but I don't know. They didn't stay long, for the wind is still blowing and the rain comes and goes.

Have you ever wondered where the waves come from? Do they originate just off shore, or have they traveled hundreds of miles across the gulf? I know that tsunami waves can travel across oceans. I guess the little ones I am looking at do to. I have sailed small boats on the big ocean. I know that most of the time the waves on the big blue will carry you up and down, but they do not carry you very far. They look very menacing as you see them coming, there is a gasp as you are carried up, and then exhilaration as you are lowered back down. But then the wave passes, and you are left with your little boat in the middle of the big ocean. What you thought was going to be a big, or frightful, or damaging event, turns out to be just a quick rush that passes without incident.

Life is like the ocean. I am like a sailboat. I live while on the surface, but I will some day go under. Currents will try to determine my direction, but I am usually able to navigate to where I want to go. The harder the wind blows, the faster I can reach my destination. However, the harder the wind blows, the rougher the water and bigger the waves. If I expend little energy and am lax with my sails, I will drift and not make much progress. If I work hard and keep my sails properly trimmed, I can make a lot of headway. Many times big waves will cause me anxiety. Mostly they will just pass harmlessly under my keel. Sometimes storms will come my way. If I am properly prepared and diligently practice my seamanship, I will overcome. However, if I keep sailing, I can expect to someday be shipwrecked. No matter, for I can start again. This time I will be smarter and better prepared. The really good thing is that I know that even when I finally do go under this present ocean, I will instantly be with The Navigator; the One who created the Heavens and the Earth; the One who separated the dry land from the seas.

I believe I will go take a walk on the beach. See ya!

Long Time

2010-06-30T16:58:00.000-05:00

It has been one month since my last blog. The primary election in Alabama is over, and my candidate, Paul Bussman for State Senate district 4, is in a runoff. The runoff election is July 13. I do not know his opponent, but I do know Paul Bussman. He is a true conservative candidate who has worked for the citizens of the north Alabama for many years. I strongly endorse him for Senate.

The oil leak in the Gulf is continuing. What a shame. Can't someone figure out how to stop the leak? I am still in favor of off-shore drilling, because we need the oil, and if we don't drill, some other country will. I suggest a contest where the person with the winning idea of how to plug the leak wins $5,000,000. BP will gladly pay the prize.

It is now public knowledge that Sarah Palin has had a breast augmentation. Even so, she is not as big of a boob as our current President.

I am in Destin, Florida right now. It is depressed, and it is the 4th of July week. Hopefully people will come.

My grandson, Jonah, has never been in the belly of a fish. However, he is a real catch.

My granddaughter, Taylor, is growing like the weeds in my garden.

My granddaughter, Rylee, is extremely photogenic.

My grandson, Jacob, can throw a baseball like Nolan Ryan.

My grandson, Jordon, just finished his baseball tournament play. He is certainly not an error.

My granddaughter, Haven, is quite the fast-pitch softball player. She can really sling it!

My grandson, Jamison, also plays baseball. Girls, he is a real catch.

Kim and I are enjoying the week in Destin with some really good friends. We seem to be "in tune" with them in just about everything. In fact, our week is Close Enough To Perfect that it makes me Feel So Right. I am looking forward to being back on the Tennessee River and listening to some of that Mountain Music, after all, my Home Is In Alabama.

Hurricane Alex is heading for Mexico and Texico. I hope everyone on the coast is talking to the man who wears, and made, the star. Because you know that you can trust your life, to the Man who made the stars.

The Rhino Revolution

2010-05-21T07:35:00.001-05:00

I first read "Rhinoceros Success" by Scott Alexander in 1982. I have read it, and his two companion books, many times since. I have also given away several copies over the years. You should read "Rhinoceros Success" if you want to find out what real living is all about.

I just found Scott's blog. It is very good reading. He still has great insight about what is really important in life, and the United States. I hope you read his stuff.

The Rhino Revolution

Mid Term Elections

2010-05-20T12:40:00.000-05:00

There is talk, maybe hope, that conservatives will retake majorities in both the House and the Senate during the 2010 mid-term elections. Regretfully, that is not enough. Conservative majorities in both houses of Congress may be able to stem the tide of the left-wing, socialist programs being passed by the Obama-Reid-Pelosi led kooks currently in power. However, it will take a two-thirds majority in both Houses to override a Presidential Veto, which is exactly what will happen when a Conservative Congress tries to undue the damage caused by the Democrats.

Two-thirds majority. We can hope.

Grandchildren

2010-05-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

I now have seven grandkids. Jamison (Naomi) is the oldest, but he and Haven (Josh) are both 12. Jordan (Josh) is 11. Those three are the "first batch." Then I have Jacob (Matt & Naomi), who is 2. Rylee (Josh & Nicole), who is going on 2. Taylor (Becca & Robbie), who is 7 months. And then there is Jonah (Matt & Naomi), who is 4 weeks. These four are the "second batch." I do not know why my kids decided on waiting 9 years between batches. Go figure!

I am expecting a third batch, but currently no one else is expecting (that I know of.)

My grandkids are great. They are into sports and music. They like video games, and super heros. They like to visit Momma Bo and me. We like to give them stuff. Usually little things. Occasionally not so. I like the first batch better when mommy and daddy are not around. I like the second batch better when mommy and daddy are close by. I guess I just like to be able to understand what they are saying.

I hope my grandkids grow-up in a country that lets them live a life of self-determination. I want my grandkids to know that they are responsible for their own successes and failures. They must learn that once they become adults, no one else is responsible for taking care of them, especially the government. My grandkids will have what they grow, earn and save, just like their parents, and just like grandparents.

The most valuable thing I can leave my grandchildren is a country that follows its Constitution and believes in Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free Market Capitalism.

Second Childhood

2010-05-08T08:11:00.000-05:00

Some men handle their second childhood by buying sports cars or sweet, young wives. I am experiencing my second childhood (or it could be my third) by re-reading books that I liked when I was young. I have just recently finished reading Exodus by Leon Uris (my favorite book) for the probably the fifth or sixth time. I also went way back and re-read My Side of the Mountain by Jean George, which I first read in the fifth grade. I am currently reading Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are in waiting. Who knows, I may start wearing bell-bottoms and platform shoes!

Backpacking on the AT

2010-05-08T08:02:00.000-05:00

AT = Appalachian Trail = 2000+ miles from Georgia to Maine = Beautiful Scenery = Ugly Feet

I have hiked more than 500 miles of the AT over several outings. The longest time on the trail was about 12 days, or 150 miles. I have hiked several sections more than once. But, to be quite honest, it may be the closest this man will ever get to experiencing child birth.

Backpacking on the AT hurts real bad while doing it, but I keep going back for more. There is nothing easy about toting a backpack weighing more than 30 pounds (with food and water) up and down never ending mountains in the hot, or cold, or dry, or wet, or the very worst, cold and wet and windy, weather. But it is fun, and it is an adventure. Experiencing nature is something most of us seldom get to do. Walking in the rain may be a pretty song, but most of us try to avoid it whenever possible. However, on the trail, you walk.

From sun up to sun down (or not), you walk. It has been said that the most viewed site on the AT is the top of your boots. When you are not walking, you are eating or sleeping. Nothing else. For days. For some through-hikers (true bloods who walk the entire trail in one season), pretty much nothing but walking, eating and sleeping is done for five or six months. They say it gets easier physically the longer you walk, but they also say it gets harder mentally.

I would like to be a through-hiker. Maybe I will do that my sixtieth year. Or earlier. Will you go with me?

The Government is out of Money

2010-05-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

They are rioting in the streets. The people are angry because the government has no money, is raising taxes, is cutting off welfare, and is reducing and/or eliminating pensions to its retirees. Greece? Nope. The good ole USA! That also means no more healthcare, because we have let the government run it and take away our right to self determination. When we are out of money, those who are living off the government dole will riot. They will either have their needs met by the government, or they will meet their needs by taking what they need by force. This will truly be a redistribution of wealth in America. And it will happen when the USA goes broke, just like in Greece.

We are not there yet, but we are close. Our government deficit (that is just like credit card debt for you and me) is huge and is growing at a blazing rate. When you hear Congress talk about reducing the deficit, they are not talking about paying down the debt. They are talking about reducing how fast the deficit is growing. When Congress talks about cutting spending, they are not talking about spending less. They are talking about a smaller increase in spending. There is no plan in Congress, and no desire for a plan, to actually spend less in order to pay down the debt of our country. They are just hoping that revenues will increase because of their superior management skills (smiley face goes here.)

It is simple. We must spend less. That means that some things we now have, we will no longer have. The Federal Government of the United States must stop spending, stop increasing taxes, and stop trying to run our economy on make-believe money. We should close most Federal Agencies today. I am talking about the entire Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Federal Reserve and the Environmental Protection Agency. All of these should be the responsibilities of the individual States, if at all. Defense, Homeland Security, State, Transportation, Treasury and the Attorney General should be better managed for the good of the USA, not the world. That means downsized!

The IRS should be abolished and replaced with a consumption tax (the Fair Tax.)

If we cannot get our financial house in order, we will fall. No business or family can survive when spending exceeds earnings for a long period of time. Neither can a country.

MADD vs. The Arizona Immigration Law

2010-05-04T22:07:00.000-05:00

We are hearing a lot about how the New Arizona Immigration Law will violate the "civil rights" of Hispanic citizens in that great state. For some reason those against the law think that it is better that the citizens of Arizona bear the costs of the increased crime and economic shortages caused by the unfettered influx of thousands of illegal Mexican Nationals into the state than for some of its citizens to be inconvenienced if they should be asked to prove their citizenship. Did they feel the same way when Mothers Against Drunk Drivers made their national push for random "sobriety check points" in order to get drunk drivers off the road? Did those now opposing the Immigration Law also oppose the stopping of all traffic, even those not driving erratically or violating any law, to see if they might be intoxicated? Did those now opposing the Immigration law also oppose Federal Background Checks on all purchasers of handguns, even those with no indication of any restricted violation in their past?

American freedoms are fundamental and should not be infringed. However, a slight inconvenience is a small price to pay to protect our country against being overran by foreign nationals who may not have our best interest at heart.

Immigration vs. Illegal Immigration

2010-05-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

Unless Native American or of Native American descent, all United States citizens are either immigrants or are of immigrant descent. We are a country of immigrants, the Great Melting Pot of history. We are a country of immigrants who became Americans. We are not a country of "ethnic" diversity, although almost all ethnicities are represented in our population. We are Americans who are proud of our heritages, but prouder yet to be Americans.

The Nation's first law concerning immigration was the Naturalization Act of 1790, and numerous other laws relating to the subject have been passed in the 220 years since. It is a world-wide common practice for countries to restrict and control who may enter their countries and under what circumstances and with what rights and responsibilities. In the 21st Century, no country with a viable national government allows unrestricted passage through its borders. Early in our history, we needed settlers to populate our lands and help us build a great country. We not only welcomed all qualified immigrants, we gave many of them land. The Homestead Act allowed anyone in the country legally to qualify for free land until the Act was repealed in 1976 (Alaska 1986.) Immigrants helped us to expand from sea to shining sea.

The current illegal immigration catastrophe in the United States has nothing to do with Europeans (the source of most of the legal immigrants throughout our history), Asians (the first specific ethnic group to be restricted by our immigration laws), Africans, Australians or those from South America. It is not a Hispanic issue, for many Hispanics are proud United States citizens who contribute greatly to our national strength and prosperity. It is not a race issue, for brown is a common color of many of our citizens. It is a national sovereignty issue. The current illegal immigration catastrophe is caused by the influx of Mexican Nationals into our country through our southern border without proper documentation and authorization. Because the numbers of illegal Mexican Nationals crossing our southern border is so huge, there is no doubt that many violent criminals and even terrorists are entering our country using this same route.

There are three reasons that we face an illegal immigration catastrophe today: 1. Crime, poor economic opportunity, and a corrupt government in Mexico. 2. Lack of resolve in the United States to stem the tide of illegals by restricting employment opportunities and strengthening border security. 3. Political shenanigans in Washington in order to capture the Hispanic vote and increase the Hispanic voter base by giving "purified" illegals an easy path to citizenship.

There are three things that must be done to protect our national sovereignty and stop the influx of undocumented and unauthorized Mexican Nationals from entering our country: 1. Pass and enforce employment laws that make it untenable for US employers to hire undocumented workers of all nationalities. 2. Secure our southern border by assigning more law enforcement/military personnel to border security duty with authorization to use whatever force is necessary to stop the movement of illegal personnel across our border. 3. Create a Documented Worker program that allows Mexican Nationals to apply for work permits while in Mexico that will allow them to enter the US legally in order to fill jobs determined to lack US citizen manpower to fill (a Work Visa program.)

My Blog about My Blog

2010-04-25T09:04:00.000-05:00

My son-in-law started talking to me about writing a blog in early October 2009. At the time, I had no idea what that meant even though I had just read his blog. He was the only person I knew who blogged (Robbie.) But, having a little free time on my hands, I said, "OK." Then I said, "Show me how." After being introduced to blogspot.com, I started writing. My first blog was, "Three Things That Will Save Our Country." That was back in October.

Now my daughter (Rebecca) and at least one daughter-in-law (Nicole) blogs. Two grandchildren have blogs ran by their parents (Rylee Mae & Taylor.) I have a favorite blogster (Michael Connelly.) I have posted more than 40 times in my blog, and that is just since October 2009. Many of my blogs are long (I sometimes ramble), and most are political in nature. I thought most of my writings would concern the outdoors and nature, hence the name "Wild Roamings." Looking back, I can honestly say that I still like what I have said, although some of my thoughts have matured.

My "Three Things That Will Save Our Country" from my very first blog, Term Limits, Fair Tax and a Balanced Budget, have morphed into Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free-Market Capitalism. You can read my blog "These Three Things" to understand my thinking on this topic.

Writing a blog allows you to crystalize your thinking on the subjects you write about. My blog about "Prohibition And The War On Drugs" forced me to put in writing how I feel about how we have been fighting to stop the horrible reality of what is drug abuse in America. I would love for our current strategy to work, but it has not (for more than 50 years.) We must change our strategy. If you have a better idea than mine on how to win the fight against illegal drugs, write it in a blog and send me the link. I also finally put in writing my elementary analogy of how God can give us freedom while at the same time having predestined the future of His Creation. You can read "Who Is In Control Of The World" if you are interested in this topic. Hopefully it will lead you to study the Bible on your own.

What is my biggest disappointment about blogging? Hardly anyone leaves a comment. That may mean that no one is reading my blog. However, if you do read it, please leave a comment. Your comment can be short or long, pro or con. I would just like to know that I am not writing in my own little world.

All in all, I am glad I blog. I hope you do also.

Staying On Message

2010-04-17T11:06:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of things I would like to see changed about our country and our government. I do not think "separation of Church and State" can be found anywhere in our Constitution. In fact, I think our Constitution is based on, and can only be followed by, a good understanding of the Holy Bible. Although we should not require any particular religion, or any religion, the government should not be anti-religion. I am against the killing of soon-to-be-born children; abortion. I believe strongly in Second Amendment rights. I believe strongly in private property rights, so much that I am against property taxes, and certainly against the abuse of eminent domain. I don't think we are the world's policeman. Our foreign policy should be based on what is best for our country, not how we might be able to make the world "better" in the view of whichever party is in power. I am for reform of our legal system so that our laws will protect and be responsive to the people, not crafted to enrich lawyers. I believe that the right to a speedy trial does not mean a trial in a year or two, maybe. I believe in charity, not welfare. I believe that we should change how we are waging the "War on Drugs" by legalizing, regulating and taxing them just like we do alcohol. I am in favor of the "Fair Tax"; tax what I spend, not what I earn. All of these issues are important to me, and there are many others that I could list.

But right now, today, in the United States of America, there are three issues that trump all others. If we fail to bring about These Three Things, we will lose all hope of accomplishing any of the other things that are important to me, and probably we will have lost all hope of accomplishing any of the things that are important to you. What are These Three Things?

Limited Government
Fiscal Responsibility
Free-Market Capitalism

These Three Things must be the message we herald from the mountaintops as we approach the elections. These Three Things must be the message heard at Tea Party rallies. And These Three Things must be what we require of any candidate for whom we vote starting right now. Hopefully the candidates that you support will also agree with you on many of the issues you deem important. But even if the do not, we must elect men and women to our governments at the local, state, and federal level who will fight for These Three Things. For if we do not, I fear we will lose our ability to fight for anything.

Tax Day Tea Party In Cullman Alabama

2010-04-12T19:48:00.000-05:00

The Tax Day Tea Party rally begins at 4:00 pm on the steps of the Cullman County Courthouse this Thursday, April 15, 2010. Candidates for Governor of Alabama Tim James, Robert Bentley and Roy Moore will speak. We will also hear from some of our locals including Dale Moore, Wade Harbison, Tom Barnes and Sarah Walker. There will be information and a sign up sheet if you are interested in getting more involved in the local Tea Party movement. Bring a chair if you wish. Donations in support of the Local Tea party will be accepted.

If you do not get involved by making your voice heard, who will? The supporters of the Tea Party believe in a constitutionally limited government, fiscal responsibility and free-market capitalism. Please forward this email to everyone you know who is interested in restoring the Constitution and putting government back into the hands of We, the People!

I hope to see you at the Court House!

Address to America

2010-04-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

These Three Things

My name is Bobby Taylor. I am an American. I was raised by great parents who are part of what Tom Brokaw calls the Greatest Generation. Theirs is the generation that sent 16 million men and women into harms way during World War II to protect our freedoms and defend the greatest country in the world; The United States of America. Luckily for my mother, my brothers and sisters, and me, my father survived the war in the South Pacific. Regretfully, almost three hundred thousand of the Greatest Generation gave their lives so that I, so that we, can live and work and raise our families in the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave. They took responsibility, very personal responsibility, for assuring that we could continue to live the American Dream!

I grew up on a small family farm in Cullman County, Alabama. My parents taught me that good things come from hard work, and that life offers no guarantees. They taught me the value of honesty and integrity, and they taught me that I am responsible for who I am, what I have, and where I will go. My parents taught me that if I want something, I have to work for it. They taught me that nothing in life is free! They taught me to be responsible for myself while being willing to help others. I learned that when I fail, it is my responsibility to pick myself up and try again. I learned that it is not anyone’s responsibility but mine to provide what I need or what I want. It is not the government’s job to take care of me. Not only should I not expect the government to take care of me, I know that I do not want the government to take care of me, because in order for the government to give me anything, it must first take it from the person who created it, or grew it, or earned it. And as I have already said, nothing in life is free. If I allow the government to take care of me, it will want something in return. It will take my liberty. My parents taught me, and I learned, and I know, that I must take personal responsibility for my life!

Our country was founded by people who believed that good things come from hard work. They did not come to this new land expecting to be given anything but a chance, and they got a chance. At first it was a chance to starve during the cold winters. A chance to die from disease. A chance to be killed by an unseen enemy. But because they worked hard and persevered, our Founding Fathers were given the chance to create the greatest country in the world; The United States of America. They didn’t quit, and they didn’t ask somebody else to take care of them. America’s early settlers chose unbelievable hardships in order to have freedom and opportunity. Do you think it was easy for the refugees on the Mayflower to leave their homeland and everything they knew, cross a big ocean on a small boat, and settle in a new land just so they could be free to worship their God in the way they wanted? Do you think it was easy for George Washington and his soldiers to spend a cold, wet winter at Valley Forge without proper equipment and food, just so they could fight another battle, a battle that they would probably lose? Do you think it was easy for Jim Bridger, Kit Carson and hundreds of other Mountain Men to cross the Mississippi River and the plains, and then have to conquer the Rocky Mountains, as they sought their individual freedom and expanded our new nation? Remember, these earliest freedom-loving Americans did not have the Interstate Highway System to make traveling easy, they did not have the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to keep them safe, and they did not have government healthcare to take care of them when they were sick. These real American Patriots voluntarily faced hardships that we cannot even comprehend just so that they could have freedom and opportunity.

Let me ask you a very important question; what are you willing to do in order to have freedom and opportunity? Are you willing to do without government handouts? Are you willing to make your voice heard? Are you willing to take action so that the out-of-control Federal Government knows that you will not trade your freedom and economic opportunity for bigger government, more taxes, and a national debt that is bankrupting us for generations to come? I know we want to be free, but are we willing to face the hardships that may be required to maintain that freedom?

America is great, but it is not perfect. Here are the major problems with our government, These Three Things:

Number One: Government is too big, and it wants to get bigger. Many of our elected officials, and here is something that is truly bi-partisan, believe that we are unable or unwilling to take care of ourselves. Big Government believes that it knows what is best for me and it believes it knows what is best for you! Big Government does not understand that personal responsibility and liberty is the bedrock that supports our Constitution and is what has set us apart from the rest of the world. I am not an orphan who can do nothing without Big Government’s help. I am an American, and I can stand on my own two feet and I want to stand on my own two feet! Hey, Big Government, get off my back and get out of our way!

Number two: Big Government has to have a big checkbook. The only problem is that Big Government does not have any money. So guess what? Big Government has to tax me, and tax me some more, and Big Government has to tax you! As long as we allow Big Government to grow, our taxes will grow even faster. But that is not the worst of it. The worst part is that even though Big Government keeps taking more of our money in taxes, it is still spending more than it has taken from us. The country’s debt is no longer our debt. It now belongs to our children and grandchildren. No business can survive by continually running up debt, and neither can Big Government. Eventually Big Government’s house of cards will fall, and mighty will be its fall. Hey, Big Government, stop stealing from me and my children and my grandchildren!

Here is the third problem with Big Government: It thinks it can run our business, and many of our businesses, better than we can. The free market is what made America the most prosperous nation in the history of mankind. American ingenuity, not government control, is what makes our economy the envy of the world. You can go to any country in the world, and you will immediately see just how much better Americans live than the rest of the world. Oh, sure, you can find the rich in foreign countries, and you can find the poor in America. But nowhere else in the world will you find the abundance of goods and services that are commonly available to most Americans. Our government cannot balance its budget. It can’t make a profit off its rail service or the Post Office, even though they are monopolies. Union Pacific Railroad and Federal Express can turn a profit, but not Big Government. Now we are letting them run, or maybe I should say ruin, our healthcare system. Duh. Has anyone looked at the VA Hospital System to see how the government is doing at managing healthcare? Has anyone noticed that Medicare and Medicaid are broke, and that already many doctors do not accept patients who are “government insured”? Government was never meant to run our businesses and Government should stay out of our business. Americans using the free market and free enterprise made us the richest country in the world. Hey, Big Government, let free market capitalism grow our economy!

What can we do to bring America back to its roots and insure our country survives and prospers so that our children and our grandchildren can achieve the American Dream? We must do These Three Things:

Number One: Vote for candidates who support limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the free market. Enact term limits at the voting booth to get the “old school” politicians out of the way. A candidate may have views different from you on many issues, but they must promise to support these three positions in order to get our vote: Limited Government. Fiscal Responsibility. Free-Market Capitalism.

Number Two: Call, write and email your Congressmen and the President. Let them know that you are not going to sit quietly by while our country and our children’s future are foreclosed on because of their irresponsibility. Let them clearly know that you are in favor of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the free market. Every time you hear something that makes you feel bad about our country, and every time you hear something that makes you feel good about our country, let your elected representatives know about it. Sound off!

The third thing we must do: Tell your friends and neighbors how you feel. Tell anyone who will listen how you feel. Do not be a “closet” patriot. Everybody else is coming out of the closet, so must the American Patriots. Attend rallies, marches and town halls so that our message of Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free Market Capitalism is amplified across the country. Create a blog and use Facebook to voice your opinions. Communicate in every way you know so that our message is heard loud and clear. If there is not a good candidate running for an office in your district, then find someone to run who will protect our country by upholding our Constitution. If there is no one else, then it just might be your turn. Support the movement. Put your wallet where your mouth is. You do not have to give hundreds of dollars to make a difference. Every little bit helps. How much we really care about our country will not be measured by how loud we yell, but by how much time, effort, and regretfully, money, we are willing to invest to maintain our freedoms.

The battle we are in now is a bi-partisan, multi-cultural battle. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, left or right, straight or gay, whether you are religious or atheist, pro-life or pro-choice, whether you are young or old, black or white, whatever your "cause", Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility and Free Market Capitalism will make your life better. These Three Things will make America better. The only people who will be hurt by These Three Things will be the professional politicians who are robbing us and stealing from our children and generations to come, and those who think Big Government should provide for their every need by creating a welfare state that redistributes the wealth of America and where personal responsibility is a thing of the past.

The United States of America is a great country. It is the greatest country. But we are on the wrong track. We must get back to our roots. We must once again make our Constitution the supreme law of the land. We can no longer be quite. Our message must be heard. We will be heard. We must elect representatives who will uphold our Constitution, and who believe like we do in These Three Things; Limited Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Free-Market Capitalism.

May God bless you. May He bless our cause. And may God Bless America!

Bobby Taylor is a retired entrepreneur who lives in Cullman, Alabama. He and his wife, Kim, have four children and six grandchildren. Bobby is a proud veteran, having served six years in the U.S. Army, who describes himself as a Constitutional Conservative. He loves the outdoors and is a lifetime member of the National Eagle Scout Association, the National Rifle Association, the Great Smoky Mountains Association, and the Iditarod Trail Committee. Bobby Taylor can be contacted through his website at www.wildroamings.com.

Census Late Notice

2010-03-28T11:53:00.000-05:00

I received a notice last week from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, informing me that I needed to hurry up and return my 2010 Census form. The notice informed me that the "deadline" was soon approaching, and that I needed to send the form in now.

How can that be? Question 1 asks, "How many people WERE living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?" Does not the wording of the question imply, or even demand, that I must wait until after April 1, 2010, to answer that question? If I return the form prior to April 1, 2010, and someone moves out, or moves in, or dies, then my response could be wrong. Knowing how the government works, then I am certain that I would be guilty of providing false information, and subject to some kind of fine, imprisonment or both.

I'll not be returning my Census form until after April 1, 2010. I certainly want my count to be accurate so that my community can get its "fair share" as stated so eloquently in the Census notice:

"Your response is important. Results from the 2010 Census will be used to help each community get its fair share of government funds for highways, schools, health facilities, and many other programs you and your neighbors need. Without a complete, accurate census, your community may not receive its fair share."

How about letting me just keep my fair share to start with. Does the Federal Government think it is doing me any favors by taxing and regulating me into oblivion? The feds are responsible for the Interstate Highway System. They should not be meddling in "schools, health facilities, and many other programs" as stated above. Let me and my state decide what I need.

I Should Have Paid Attention

2010-03-27T09:42:00.002-05:00

On January 3, 2010, I wrote, "I am going to slow down and better manage my time. I will start obeying the speed limit." Well, I got a speeding ticket last night, not even 90 days into the new year. 86 mph in a 70 mph zone. I know you are asking, "Bobby, how did this happen?" I was not in a particular hurry. I was not upset about anything. Nobody was telling me to hurry. I didn't even have to go pee. I was simply not paying attention. And it is going to cost me dearly.

Bad things can happen when we are not paying attention. When enough of us do not pay attention, bad things can happen to our country. If I continue to not pay attention when driving, I will lose my privilege to drive. If we continue to not pay attention to what is happening to our Constitution, we can lose the freedoms it guarantees and protects. I hope that you never have to look at our country without the freedoms we hold dear and ask, "Bobby, how did this happen?" If we do not pay attention, it will cost us dearly!

Back on October 10, 2009, in my very first blog, I wrote that we need to do the following three things to save our country:

1. Pass a Constitutional Amendment to restrict Congressmen and Senators to two terms, just as we have with the President. Even though the founding fathers did not include term limits in the Constitution, it is also evident from their other writings that they never envisioned "career" politicians. As the members of the current Congress have made perfectly clear, the longer a member serves, the more out of touch he or she is with the American people. They pass laws that make it easier for them and harder for "new blood" to be elected. They start worrying more about their "power base" then about the citizens who put them there. They remove themselves from the people, passing laws that affect their constituents, but from which they are exempt. We may lose some good people, but far more bad ones will be gone when term limits are enforced. I would prefer that term limits be enforced from the ballet box, rather than by a Constitutional Amendment. But we must make the career politician a thing of the past.
2. Pass a Constitutional Amendment to require a Federal balanced budget, except in times of Declared war or Declared national emergency (both declared by Congress.) We simply cannot continue growing government, spending more, increasing the national debt, and then raising taxes in order to give Congress the license to create even more government, spend more, increase the national debt, and raise taxes, in order to give Congress the license to create even more government, spend more, increase the national debt, raise taxes. . . I think you get the message. Our Constitution directs that we should have a small federal government, only responsible for the things outlined therein; the Enumerated Powers. The interpretation of the "Commerce Clause" of the Constitution as giving the federal government the right to regulate all aspects of our life is a gross misinterpretation of what is truly a simple sentence. The federal government must live by the same rules that every successful person has to live by, and that is to spend less than you earn.
3. Do away with the IRS and replace it with a Federal consumption tax. In other words, tax what I spend, not what I make. No longer should we punish the creation of wealth, for wealth creation benefits us all. No longer should our federal social policy be one of "sharing the wealth", for that robs incentive from the very ones who grow our economy and jobs. For more information on how the consumption tax works, see The Fair Tax.

Whether you are Democrat or Republican, left or right, straight or gay, whether you are religious or atheist, pro-life or pro-choice, whether you are young or old, black or white, whatever your "cause", none of these three actions will hurt you. The only people who will be hurt by these actions will be the professional politicians who are robbing us and our posterity, and those who want the government to provide for their every need by redistributing the wealth of America and creating a welfare state where personal responsibility is a thing of the past.

Prohibition and the War on Drugs

2010-03-25T09:13:00.003-05:00

NOTICE: This is not the same blog as my previous, even though it opens with the same paragraph.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a Libertarian, although I like much of what they believe. I am a Constitutional Conservative.

In 1920, 37 states ratified the 18th Amendment to our Constitution and it became law. That Amendment started the Prohibition era of American History. It may have been a noble endeavor to restrict the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States, but it did not work. During the next 13 years, Prohibition proved that sometimes even good intentions have bad consequences. Not only did Prohibition ruin many good businesses (it devastated the entire city of St. Louis), it gave the Mob, or organized crime, the economic power to grow into a organization almost as powerful as our Government. In addition, many otherwise upright and model citizens (the moonshiners and rum runners) became criminals in the eyes of the government. (On a side note, it also gave us what was to become NASCAR.) One of the families rumored to have gotten rich off of illegal booze during the Prohibition was named Kennedy. In 1933, after thirteen years of such flagrant disregard for the law that the government was simply unable to enforce it, the 21st Amendment to our Constitution nullified Prohibition. It is estimated that before the law was struck down, there were more than 100,000 illegal "speakeasies" in New York City alone.

The repeal of Prohibition did several good things for our country. 1. It allowed the government to tax and regulate the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. 2. It took the "booze" economy out of the hands of organized crime and other lawbreakers and put it into the hands of legitimate businesses. 3. It created what has become one of the most robust industries in the United States. 4. It proved that local laws and regulations are better for our country than trying to make everything a national issue (as is shown by the number of counties and cities nationwide who to this day still enforce Prohibition on a local level.)

I do not like illegal drugs. I do not use illegal drugs, or smoke marijuana. I have had personal experience with the devastating effects of illegal drugs on people I know and my community at large.

HOWEVER, I think the current "War on Drugs" has failed, continues to fail, and will always fail. Why do we continue spending billions of dollars trying to win a war that has cost more and that we have been fighting far longer than the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Viet Nam? Why do we continue fighting a war that has taken more lives than all of these wars combined? Why do we overburden our court and prison systems with people who could be better served by given them help instead of handcuffs?

I think recreational drugs should be taxed and regulated, just like alcohol. This will remove the criminal incentive to illegally import and distribute drugs, just like alcohol. It will make the government money, rather than cost it money, just like alcohol. It will create a new above ground industry that will employ thousands of Americans, just like alcohol. It will enable the government to assure the quality and relative safety of the drug (no more battery acid in the moonshine), just like alcohol. It will make it much easier for the government to control who has access to the drugs, just like alcohol.

The Drug Wars in Mexico are starting to spill over into the United States. Thousands are dying. Hundreds are being kidnapped. Yet there is no solution because there is so much money involved. As long as it is profitable for the Drug Cartels to keep shipping drugs into the United States, it will continue. Legalizing these drugs will immediately take away the economic incentive to use violence to get their goods into the United States. We can then import the drugs, regulating and taxing. As long as the legal price is close to the "street" price, why would anyone (except those prohibited from buying) choose the illegal? They wouldn't. An added benefit of decriminalizing recreational drugs might be a economic boom in Mexico, as that country would immediately start to legitimize the drug industry with taxes and regulation. It might even slow down illegal immigration as more legitimate jobs are created south of our border.

There will be law-breakers, just like alcohol. There will be underage users, just like alcohol. There will be differences in local laws, just like alcohol. But at least we will be able to say that we are no longer spending billions on drug law enforcement, but instead are making money that can be used to help those who need help (and most likely siphoned off to help support Obamacare.) You can bet that the drug cartels do not want us to change our tactics, because they know how to beat us at that game. They have proved it time and time again.

We cannot win the war on drugs by continuing to do what has been failing for the past 50 years. Lets change tactics. Lets liberate and then regulate the thousands who are prisoners of the underground economy called illegal drugs.

Prohibition and the Healthcare Bill

2010-03-25T08:07:00.000-05:00

In 1920, 37 states ratified the 18th Amendment to our Constitution and it became law. That Amendment started the Prohibition era of American History. It may have been a noble endeavor to restrict the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States, but it did not work. During the next 13 years, Prohibition proved that sometimes even good intentions have bad consequences. Not only did Prohibition ruin many good businesses (it devastated the city of St. Louis), it gave the Mob, or organized crime, the economic power to grow into a organization almost as powerful as our Government. In addition, many otherwise upright and model citizens (the moonshiners and rum runners) became criminals in the eyes of the government. (On a side note, it also gave us what was to become NASCAR.) One of the families rumored to have gotten rich off of illegal booze during the Prohibition was named Kennedy. In 1933, after thirteen years of such flagrant disregard for the law that the government was simply unable to enforce it, the 21st Amendment to our Constitution nullified Prohibition. It is estimated that before the law was struck down, there were more than 100,000 illegal "speakeasies" in New York City alone.

What does Prohibition have to do with the recently enacted Healthcare Bill? I think at least two things. 1. Laws that affect everyone personally and do not concern "right or wrong" are not popular and are not soon forgotten. 2. It may take a while, but eventually the People will have their way.

I just hope that we are not subjects to a totalitarian regime before we are angry enough to have our way. Even so, as our founding fathers proved, being subjects of a totalitarian regime is not enough to keep a committed group of fiery patriots from having freedom!

Rise Up and be Counted

2010-03-21T22:30:00.000-05:00

Congress has just passed a healthcare bill that will "fundamentally change" America. Instead of personal responsibility and personal freedom, they have increased the power of the government, reduced our individual freedom, and violated the Constitution that they swore to uphold and defend. Instead of the land of the free and home of the brave, we have become the land of big government and home of the lazy sucklings, dependent on government for whatever it deems we need.

I make the following predictions.

1. Taxes will go up.
2. Health insurance premiums will go up.
3. Health services will decline.
4. There will be further losses of our freedoms.

We must vote to stop this out-of-control government. If we do not, violence will be required. Although all of the Republicans in the House and Senate voted against this bill, it is the Republicans fault that the Democrats had the power to pass the bill. If the Republicans had followed the conservative path espoused by Ronald Reagan, then the Democrats would not be in the majority, and we would not be becoming a socialist state under Premier Obama. Therefore, I call for the enforcement of Term Limits at the ballot box. In addition to replacing every member of Congress who voted for this bill, all two-term incumbents in the House and Senate must be defeated. I call for the election of "new blood" in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. During the general election, vote your conscience. Vote for the person who best represents your views. I pray that will be the most conservative candidate.

It is not about Healthcare

2010-03-21T09:18:00.000-05:00

There are many ways that the American Healthcare System can be improved. Most improvement would come from opening up the system so that free enterprise and market conditions would determine what products are wanted by the American people, and then made available by insurance companies and healthcare providers. The reduction of government interference, and the increase of competition, will bring down prices and improve service. It always does.

Have you ever compared the Post Office with Federal Express? Who do you use to deliver that all-important package when it absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight? The Post Office has a monopoly on First Class mail. Because they have this monopoly, they should be able to "add on" additional deliveries at very competitive prices, and they should be able to provide the very best service. But they do not. Instead, they are broke. Their service with trackable shipping (Express & Priority mail) is both more expensive and less reliable than that of FedEx. The most remarkable thing is that Federal Express actually makes money.

Have you ever had anyone involved in the VA Hospital and Healthcare system? Then you know what government run healthcare will bring to America. Are not Social Security, Medicare and Medicaide broke even though every working American pays taxes to support them? What government program has ever provided good service and came in under budget? None. Not one.

But those reasons are not why I am opposed to Obamacare. I am opposed to the current healthcare legislation because it allows the federal government to require me to buy something that I may not want. If the government can force me to buy healthcare insurance, then it can force me to buy anything our good leaders in Congress are cajoled or bribed into writing into law. The Constitution of the United States does not say, and has never before been interpreted as saying, that the Federal government can force me to buy something that I do not want. The 9th and 10th Amendments to the Constitution where written and included in the Bill of Rights specifically to protect us from a corrupt, greedy and out of control federal government. We must fight to protect and defend our Constitution!

Term Limits

2010-03-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

I am a Constitutional Conservative. I used to be a Republican. I have given to the Republican party. I will not do so again. I will instead give to candidates who promise to uphold the Constitution. Although not (yet) in our Constitution, I believe in the necessity of Term Limits. Most of the career politicians in Washington, whether Republican, Democrat, or Independent, are destroying our country. They no longer uphold their oath to protect and defend our Constitution, and they no longer listen to the citizens who put them in office. They think they are above the electorate. Therefore, they must go.

No matter your party affiliation, there is no doubt that a few "good ones" will be lost when we invoke term limits, whether by the ballot box or by a Term Limits Amendment. Although, quite frankly, like George Orwell so aptly said in his famous book "Animal Farm", when you look in the window at Congress, "you can't tell the pigs apart from the humans." If a Representative does a great job and is elected twice, then let him run for the Senate. Remember, at least every twelve years there will be an opening there. So, even with term limits, a really good leader can serve in Federal elected office for 24 years (Representative 4 years. Senator 12 years. President 8 years.) That is plenty long enough.

Many have said that they can't support term limits because it would mean they will have to vote for someone in the opposing party. That is only true if we, the electorate, have not imposed term limits. If we have imposed term limits, either through Amendment or by the ballot box, then the "new blood" of your party will be elected during the primary election, giving you a good choice during the general election.

Until term limits are the law of the land, in the primary vote for someone new if the incumbent has already served two or more terms. Hopefully it will be someone whose values are the same as yours. In the general election, try hard to vote out the career politician. In many instances, the new blood of any party will be better for us than to allow the entrenched, professional politician to continue raping our country.

Individual Responsibility

2010-03-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

I am a Constitutional Conservative, a term I have applied to myself to let others know that I believe in a literal and historical translation of the United States Constitution (I hope the name is not being used by some left-wing, commie, tofu-eating crowd.) I believe that our Founding Fathers got it close enough to perfect when they crafted the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution along with the Bill of Rights. I strongly believe in a limited Federal Government as demanded by the 9th and 10th Amendments. I believe that we naturally have the rights stated in the Constitution, and they are not a gift or allowance from the Government, and as such, cannot be regulated, suppressed or denied by the Government.

I believe that the controlling principle of the Constitution is individual responsibility. I have the right to free speech. I have the right to protect myself. I have the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I do not have the right to healthcare. I do not have the right to home ownership. I do not have the right to a job. I do not have the right to injure you in order to advance myself. And I do not have the right to take your possessions or your money, even if they are taken from you by the government and then given to me. I am responsible for myself. I will thrive and prosper, or wither and die, based on what I do with what I create, what I grow, what I earn, and what I save. I do not have the right to what you create, what you grow, what you earn, or what you save. Your things are not mine. They are yours, whether good or bad. We are all responsible for ourselves.

I do believe in love and charity. Some say these are the same thing. I say that love is the intangible goodness that we can give to others, while charity is the tangible. True love and charity are gifts that people willingly and freely give to others of their choosing, without asking for anything in return. It is not government's place to give love or charity, for the only way government can give is to first take, always asking for something in return.

State v. Federal

2010-03-18T21:50:00.000-05:00

Like many patriotic Americans, I have, for the first time, started writing (via email) my state and federal elected officials. I have written my State Congressman and Senator, as well as my Federal Representative and Senators. I have written concerning the health care bill, various Second Amendment issues, and what I believe is an almost total disregard for the United States Constitution by our elected officials.

I have received replies from every one of my Representatives, both State and Federal. However, I have noticed this; All of the replies from Washington were obviously form letters. Very polite and grateful to me for expressing my opinion, but no real response to my letter. In contrast, I believe that all of my responses from my State legislators were actual responses to my issues. Some of them may have come from aids or secretaries, but they all addressed the issues in my letter.

This sort of makes sense. Each Fed legislator represents a lot more people than a State rep.

AND THAT IS WHY I BELIEVE IN THE 10TH AMENDMENT, A SMALL FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND STATES' RIGHTS!

I have also written elected officials from other districts or states, usually after receiving a request for a donation. I have never received a reply.

A cheap fix for Healthcare

2010-03-13T09:30:00.000-06:00

What is the fastest way to drive down prices and force businesses to compete for your business with great customer service? Increase competition! How can we increase competition in healthcare? Increase the number of doctors!

I propose that we take a very, very small percentage of the stimulus money that has not yet been spent and provide full scholarships to every qualified person who wants to become a healthcare provider (RN, doctor, dentist, etc.) These students must still pass all of the requirements necessary to be properly licensed and maintain their licenses in their respective specialties, except that there will be no restrictions on their number. There should be some minimum years of service required in order to not have to pay back their scholarships, but there should be no other restrictions in becoming a healthcare provider. Imagine what will happen to the cost of an office visit if there are three times as many doctors competing for you! Imagine what will happen to customer service! There is no law (at least there shouldn't be) that says doctors have to be rich.

Once we increase the numbers of healthcare providers and get routine care prices down to a "real world" level, we should reduce or eliminate healthcare insurance for routine outpatient care. Think of your car. You carry insurance to protect against catastrophe, but you pay for all routine maintenance out of your pocket. You also shop around for the best service for the best price before you take your car in to be worked on. Health insurance should be the same way. I also think that health insurance should be more like dental insurance. You buy your insurance based on a reimbursement schedule. If your dental policy says it will pay "up to $500 for a crown", you are going to shop around until you can find a dentist who will do a crown for $500 or less (remember, we now have lots of dentists competing for your business.)

Some would say that automobile mechanics require just as much expertise as many medical specialties (and some would say that statement is crazy.) However, my point is that the barriers to entry into the mechanic field are much less than to the medical field. That is the ONLY reason that car repair is cheaper than body repair; there is more competition!

Of course, in order to really, really lower prices, all "ambulance chasers" should be required to pay all court and attorney fees when they lose a suit, and suit awards should be limited to actual damages. If the healthcare provider needs to be further punished, revoke his or her license, don't pad the pockets of the lawyers.

Healthcare and the Free Market

2010-03-13T08:57:00.000-06:00

First, I must admit that I am no expert on the current "workings" of the healthcare industry in the United States. Although I have always lived in the US, am a natural born citizen, and am a frequent user of the healthcare system, I do not know how doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies do their business. I only know what I see and experience as an end user. And I am not happy with what I experience.

Most doctors make a lot of money. Most hospitals are big, modern, expensive buildings with a lot of fluff (unnecessary decorations, artwork, etc. You know. Like government buildings.) Most health insurance companies make enough money to pay their executives huge salaries while claiming that rates must be raised 20% to 70% per year (personal experience as a former business owner.) In a normal free market environment, companies would have to provide superior customer service and be managed very efficiently in order to have the type of financial success that most doctors, hospitals and insurance companies experience. But I personally do not receive good customer service from any of these providers. Do you?

Do not get me wrong. I like my current doctor. But I have to wait days or weeks for an appointment, many times to only have it rescheduled for me because the doctor is going to be "out." Then when I arrive for the appointment, I am so conditioned to the bad customer service that I know I will receive, I promise myself that I will not get upset and leave unless I have to wait for more than one-hour past my appointment time before getting called back (luckily I have not had to experience the 3-hour to 5-hour waits that I hear are common at the OB-GYN.) But that is not the end of the wait, for then I have to agree with myself that a wait of up to 45-minutes in the examining room is also acceptable. But that is really only the beginning of the wait. If I actually have a problem, I will be scheduled for more tests. But not at this doctor's office. Somewhere else. Some other day. The note on the examining room wall says, "If you have other tests done, do not call for your results for a week or two." First, why does it take a week or two to get my results? Second, why can't they call me?

Then I go to pay. I have insurance. It is a Health Savings Account policy with high deductible. That means that I pay the first $3,000 every year ($1,500 for me. $1,500 for my bride.) That is not good, but it is better than paying even higher monthly premiums. Even though I know I must pay, I still have them file the charges with my insurance. By doing this, I can pay the insurance company's rate, rather than the "no insurance" rate, which is much, much more. But I have no idea what my charges will be, because we are all just expected to accept whatever charge the doctor, lab and hospital want to charge us.

Here is what is wrong with our healthcare system (and this is before Obamacare): It is not a free market system! Doctors, labs, hospitals and insurance companies do not have to compete for our business by offering competitive pricing and good customer service. Do you know of any store that stays in business when customers have to wait hours to get inside (other than when the new X-Box goes on sale)? Did you know that when a business shops for insurance (with one of the limited number of health insurance providers in a particular state) they are REQUIRED to tell the companies bidding on their insurance what they are currently paying? In most situations, that is considered unethical, or at least unfair. Did you know that patients without health insurance are required to pay many, many times more for their healthcare services than the amount paid by patients who have insurance? In most businesses it is either unethical or illegal to "price gouge" a class of people (those without insurance), but not in healthcare.

Take a minute to think about the businesses who give the worst customer service: 1. Telephone companies - heavily regulated by the Federal government to control competition. 2. Cable TV companies - heavily regulated by local and state governments to control competition. 3. Insurance Companies - heavily regulated by State and Federal government. 4. Healthcare providers - heavily regulated by government to control costs and insure access. And on. And on. And on.

Obamacare is not the solution. Here is the solution: Shrink government and deregulate. In other words, Get Off My Back! Follow the Constitution of the United States. Understand that I want to be responsible for myself. I do not want or need a government to take care of me. Without 80% of the government oversight and regulation we have today, I might not live quite so long. I might fall prey to an unscrupulous crook. I might have to decide between a new car and new teeth. That is all OK. Just let me be responsible for me. Let me decide how I want to spend my money, and who I want to share it with.

Three things that will save our country: 1. Term Limits. Two terms. No more career politicians. 2. Fair Tax. Tax what I spend, not what I earn. 3. Balanced Budget Amendment. Lets not give them the chance to continue bankrupting our country (except in instances of war or national emergency declared by Congress.) The real shame is that none of these three things would be required if our elected leaders could just follow the Constitution that they all swore to uphold.

Why Was America Great?

2010-02-15T10:44:00.002-06:00

If you can find a history book that has not been edited by the far left progressives, you will find that the early colonists came to the shores of North America seeking religious and political freedom. These facts were taught when I was in school. Hopefully they are still being taught where you and/or your children are now going to school. Although the bounty of the land was a blessing, that is not why they came. They came for freedom.

Most of the early colonists were Christians. It was these early settlers who wrote our Declaration of Independence and framed our Constitution. As is evident by the words in these documents, our Nation was created upon the belief in a Supreme Creator who loves his Creation, including the people He created. 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 (Declaration of Independence.) Although certainly some of our founding fathers were less "Christian" than others, it is proved by the documents to which they signed their names that all of them agreed that our new Nation would be built on and guided by Christian principles.

Have the actions of our government always adhered to Christian principles? Certainly not! Just as Christians themselves are not perfect, neither is a country based on Christian principals. Must all citizens of a Christian country be Christian? Certainly not! Just as most religious groups welcome non-believers into the fellowship in hopes of showing them a better way to live, our country welcomes people of all beliefs. This is not just a matter of religion, it is a matter of Freedom. However, the freedom to not believe in our Christian principles does not give anyone the right to destroy the foundational beliefs upon which our country was built and our Constitution crafted. Does a non-believer have the right to destroy the church or mosque or synagogue of the group that he does not believe in? Certainly not! He can go elsewhere, but he does not have the right to destroy. So to, our Country.

I believe that our Country became the greatest country on earth because we were founded upon Christian principals. We honored God as a Nation, and the great majority of our people believed in Jesus and his teachings of love, kindness and charity. We were a moral Country that respected each life that God created, even those not Christian. Now we have leaned so far to the left that we are falling. We are not yet down, but we are close. The only way we will right ourselves is to reach up to God. I pray that we will not have to hit bottom before enough of us realize that we must not only turn our country back to its Christian roots, but we must also turn ourselves back into the loving hands of our Creator.

Pray that God will reveal our sins, both personal and national, accept our pleas for forgiveness as we turn away from our sin, and bring us all back into His grace and love.

Washington and Lincoln

2010-02-15T08:49:00.001-06:00

Would George Washington and Abraham Lincoln be proud of you as a citizen of the country that they helped to build? Would they think of you as a "fiery patriot" or as a complacent subject of the government?

I am afraid it has reached the point where drastic action, hopefully not violent action, will be required in order to turn back the rising tide of Political Correctness and the far left progressive agenda that is threatening our Union. We citizens can no longer sit idly by and hope someone else will do our duty for us, for if we do, our freedoms and our country will be lost. Take action today to help restore our Constitution and our founding principals (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as endowed by our Creator) so that our children can enjoy the life that our founding fathers and patriotic ancestors fought to provide. Call and write your elected representatives on the local, state and national level whenever you hear something that you know is anti-American so that they will know how you feel. Become an activist for pro-freedom, pro-Constitution, pro-American ideals. Write a Letter to the Editor voicing your concerns and convictions. Create your own Blog and follow those of others who are standing up for Freedom. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! No longer can we be "nice" and let statements and actions that erode our freedoms go unchallenged. For if we do, a second Revolution may be required in order to preserve our great Nation.

Please read the blog of Constitutional Lawyer Michael Connelly for an insightful article on this topic.

http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com

How much are humans worth?

2010-02-07T07:35:00.002-06:00

I just googled this subject. The first response I found (and it seems to be the most used) is that the materials that make up your body are worth about $4.50, with most of that value coming from the skin (used as leather.) I didn't see a valuation for hair. I guess that is because some of you would be bankrupt! I guess this valuation does mean those of us who are "husky" are more valuable than those who are not.

The other most common answer (according to my very unscientific method of polling) is that the human body is worth about $45 million. This method of valuation commercializes your body, selling off your lungs, kidneys, eye balls, heart, etc. on the open market. Using this method of valuation, women are more expensive than men due primarily to their eggs (which are worth much more than men's contribution to the reproductive process.) This is a ten-million times increase from the first response, proving the value of capitalism!

Net worth, or how much money you have as opposed to debt, seems to come in third place. Most of us have a net worth of more than $4.50, and less than $45,000,000.

I think humans are priceless. After all, God sent his only Son to die for us so that we all might have eternal life. Just because somebody does not take Him up on His offer does not mean that they are not just as valuable as those that do. It just means that they don't get it.

Marriage

2010-02-01T16:31:00.002-06:00

Today is my 35th wedding anniversary. Thanks to my beautiful bride, Kim, I have a very blessed life. We have four children and six grandchildren (number seven is due in May.) We have two beautiful and wonderful daughters-in-law, and a son-in-law. Here is a short history of our life together.

We met when I was 15 and Kim was 13. We attended different schools, and met through church related activities. We married two years later (yes, I was 18 and Kim was 15.) We lived a few weeks with Kim's parents while our trailer was being setup on my father's farm. I was earning $2.10/hour, bringing home $77/week. Our trailer payment was $88/month (it was not an asset.) Kim did not like living on the farm (she was a city girl, having grown up in the metropolis of Cullman.) She especially did not like the little pigs that slept under our trailer. She also did not like helping my dad plant sweet potatoes. In order to support my family, I joined the Army not long after high-school graduation.

I enlisted in the Infantry because I could get a $2,500 signing bonus. After completing Basic and AIT, we moved to Clarksville, TN, in late 1975. I was a member of the 101st Airborne Division at Ft. Campbell. During our two years there, we had two sons, Christopher and Joshua. I started to grow personally as I attended many military schools. Kim did also as she took care of two babies pretty much by herself during the many weeks that I was gone while training. We also made many, many trips back home to Cullman. After two years at Ft. Campbell, I was transferred to Ft. Richardson, Alaska. No more trips to Cullman.

We drove cross-country in our Toyota Corolla with two kids in diapers and most of what we owned tied to the roof. We spent three years in Alaska, and had our third son there, Matthew. It was in Alaska that we really started to depend on each other. I loved Alaska. Kim did not. We attended First Baptist Church Anchorage. We left Alaska in August of 1980. We lived in Cullman while I spent my last year in the Army at Ft. McClellan, Alabama.

In 1981 we bought our first house in Green Tree Estates between Cullman and Hanceville. After getting out of the Army in August, I tried my hand at cabinet making and woodworking. Regretfully, 1981 was a very slow time for building, and I was not making much money. We attended East Side Baptist Church. While visiting my brother in Atlanta for Christmas, I met one of his neighbors who was moving to Tampa, Florida to start a delivery service. He needed a manager and I needed a job. Not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, we moved to Tampa in February 1982. We attended Citrus Park Baptist Church, where I became a Deacon.

During the first week of August of 1984 we moved to Orlando, I started a new delivery operation there, and Kim delivered our fourth child and first daughter, Rebecca (still in Tampa.) It was an exciting week. I also became part owner of the Company. We purchased our second home in 1987. We stayed in Orlando 12 years. Our two oldest sons graduated from Oak Ridge High School. We attended First Baptist Church Pine Castle, where I was a Deacon. In 1986 I purchased the Orlando operation from my partner. In 1989 my brother and I purchased the Tampa delivery operation. In 1994 we sold the delivery companies. In 1996 Kim, Matthew, Rebecca and I moved back home to Cullman. Chris and Josh were in College.

We bought the house where we currently live in 1996. Matt and Rebecca graduated from Cullman High School. I "retired" for almost three years. I went to work for Network Express in January of 1999. I commuted to Clearwater, Florida to once again work in the delivery business. In 2004, I bought Network Express. In 2009, I sold it and once again have retired.

As you can tell, I have dragged Kim all over the country. We left the Army in order to not have to move around so much. Little did we know that our moving was going to continue like it did. However, through it all, Kim has been by my side. Even though she didn't like the moving, and she certainly did not like my disposition to work sixteen hour days, she hung in there. Even when I hocked everything we had and much more in order to be an owner, she stood by me. She also managed to raise four pretty good kids, a couple of dogs, and some cats, hamsters, fish and birds.

I have been greatly blessed with a wonderful life and beautiful bride!

Debt

2010-02-01T15:30:00.000-06:00

Debt has been described to me as a "four-letter" word. Bank debt is two four-letter words. The Bible, as well as other sources of conventional wisdom, warn of the evils of debt, and with good reason. But there is "good" debt. In business, good debt is that debt that allows you to acquire assets whose value is more, or will grow to be more, than the debt required to acquire it. An example of good debt is for a yard service to borrow the money to purchase a riding mower. With only a push mower, the owner cannot grow his business. But with a riding mower, many more yards can be mowed. The difference in capability will more than cover the cost of the riding mower. Bad debt is borrowing to acquire items that will decrease in value or are a liability. The most common form of bad debt is carrying a balance on credit cards, because most items purchased with credit cards do not increase in value and are not used to create or increase the value of other assets.

If you have lots of money, spend it on whatever you like. You earned it, you can waste it. However, if you want to ever get ahead financially, insure that the only debt you take on is used to increase your asset base. What is an asset? It is something that makes you money. What is a liability? It is something that decreases in value. Is a home purchased with debt an asset or a liability? Good question. In most instances, if you have a good down payment and find a good deal, purchasing a home is a good move. It will probably reduce your monthly living expense, while possibly, over the long-term, it will increase in value (although recent history should alert you to be cautious even when purchasing a home.) Is a boat purchased with debt an asset or a liability? Don't even ask. A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money!

If you are living on bad debt, change your lifestyle immediately. Debt will destroy your finances, your relationships, and your life. Debt can be used as a tool, but like a chainsaw in the hands of child, it can be very dangerous.

The State of the Union

2010-01-28T09:50:00.000-06:00

President Obama addressed the Nation last night. He confirmed to everyone that it does not matter what the citizens are clearly saying (through tea parties, town halls, polls and elections.) He is going to push ahead the anti-Constitution projects of government run healthcare and anti-business taxes under the guise of global warming relief. He even went so far as to chastise the Supreme Court for its decision to uphold our Constitutional right of Free Speech, and to declare that he would use an Executive Order to implement a law that the people's Congress voted against (a Congress with a clear majority of his own party.)

Mixed signals? You bet. Only the Great Orator Barack Obama can call for an insignificant "spending freeze" that does not start until next year in order to reduce the deficit, while at the same time announce that he IS going to push forward a "jobs bill" that will cost more this year than his freeze is expected to save in the years to come. Why can't we just reduce spending and taxes and let the free enterprise system work us out of this recession?

Our President is a threat to our liberty, and the United States. His policies, projects, appointees and cronies are all radically different from what the framers of our Constitution would have ever envisioned to be associated with a President. Obama is openly trying to disregard and undermine the Constitution that he has sworn to uphold. The People must speak loudly this November in order to insure that this President does not have the political power to neuter our Constitution. For make no mistake, and let me make this perfectly clear, if the Citizens of the United States do not rise up and vote out of office all of those who disregard our Constitution and follow the path of socialism espoused by Obama and his Chicago-land thugs, we WILL lose our prosperity, our freedom, and our Country!

Commitment

2010-01-18T22:20:00.000-06:00

I think I am a committed person. I have had the same wonderful bride for almost 35 years. I have had only two real jobs in my 30 plus years of working life (US Army and Delivery Service.) I have been a Christian since I was 12 years old. There are other things to which I am committed.

But . . .

I have been trying to play the guitar for about 40 years, and I still play badly. I have been trying to lose weight for about 20 years, and I only seem to find more. I exercise, but only sporadically. There are other things I want to do, but do not do.

What is the problem? Why can't I commit to all the things I think are important? Maybe the answer is that I really do not think many of them are important. Or, maybe I know which ones are really important, and which ones are just "wants".

Maybe I should re-read my New Year's Resolutions blog. If I set my goals and properly schedule my time, I should be able to accomplish both the "have to's" and "want to's. I will let you know how it goes.

My Dad

2010-01-17T23:14:00.002-06:00

My father's name is Henry Leslie Taylor. We celebrated his 90th birthday last night (his actual birthday is January 23, 1920.) My siblings and I, along with in-laws, grand-children and great-children participated in the event held at the church he has attended in Hanceville, Alabama, since the late 1950s, Bethlehem East Baptist Church. Dad was the song leader/choir director at the church for about 30 years.

Because of dad's love for music, especially country music, we presented our very own live Hee Haw show. We had skits, jokes and of course a lot of music. About 25 decendents (and in-laws) of dad made up the cast. I think it was a great show. I know dad really enjoyed it. I know I really enjoyed it. Those who decorated the stage and made props did a wonderful job. Even the outhouse looked real! Special thanks go to sister Joyce and brother Garry for planning and directing the show. If we were to give an award for best costume/character, I think it would have to go to sister Linda as Cousin Minnie Pearl, although nephew-in-law Chuck as Elvis would run a close second.

Because the weather was yucky, I was concerned about turn-out. We had invited about 100 guest, but many of them were elderly (dad's friends), and I was afraid the rain and cold might keep them away. Boy, was I wrong. I am not sure how many were in attendance, but the church auditorium was the fullest I have ever seen it. In addition to church members and local friends and family, many of our relatives from dad's side of the family, most of whom I had not seen in many, many years, came from all over Alabama (Dad is the last survivor of his six siblings.) I know that dad loved seeing all of his friends and relatives.

After the show, we gathered for dessert and birthday cake in the church's fellowship hall. Although crowded, I know that everyone had plenty of sweets to eat, and plenty of "talk" to listen to. My wife Kim, along with sisters-in-law Linda and Jan, coordinated the food and deserve a special thanks for the wonderful job they did in preparation and planning for what turned out to be a huge crowd. Thanks and Yum, Yum!

I think my dad is a great man. He married a 19-year old girl right after returning from WWII. They started having kids right away, and kept on having them for 19 years (seven in all.) For much of his life, my dad had two jobs, working as an aircraft mechanic in Birmingham, and farming. He also found time to lead the church choir and build guitars. With the help of my wonderful mother, they still managed to keep all us kids in line. I am grateful for the example he set for me. Although I know that I will never be the man my dad is, I know that all I am is because of who he is.

Thanks, Dad.

Hidden Taxes

2010-01-07T13:33:00.000-06:00

I just received my home telephone bill from AT&T. I have a very basic home telephone service, consisting of their "2 Pack" which has a flat rate of $25 per month. I do have long-distance service, but it is billed separately from my basic service. The added fees and taxes on my $25 basic phone service is $12.28, or 49%. That's right, I pay 49% in added fees and taxes for my telephone service. The Federal portion is 33%, while the State portion is 16%.

Taxes are what caused the first American Revolution. It may be what causes the second.

The Constitution and Healthcare

2010-01-04T21:23:00.000-06:00

Because of the importance of the message below, I am including the text of this blog by Michael Connelly here on my blog. You can find this message and others defending our Constitution at:

Michael Connelly
Personal website and Blog http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/

Going on the Offensive

There is still time to make one final push to defeat the healthcare legislation in the House and Senate before a final bill is passed and signed by the President. Here are some key points everyone should make when contacting their representatives:

1. There is nothing in the Constitution of the United States that authorizes Congress or any other branch of the Federal government to force anyone living in the United States to buy anything by virtue of their citizenship or residence. There are no U.S. Supreme Court decisions that allow this under either the “Commerce Clause” or the “General Welfare Clause” of the Constitution. Yet that is exactly what both the House and Senate versions of the Bills contain, a mandate requiring everyone to buy health insurance.

2. The requirement to have automobile insurance is not the same thing. First, it is a requirement imposed by the individual states, not the federal government, and you can’t be forced to have it if you don’t own a car or you choose not to drive.

3. Thus the passage of any health care bill containing such a provision is a violation of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution and the 9^th Amendment in the Bill of Rights.

4. The regulation of the health care industry and the health insurance industry has always been left in the hands of the individual state legislatures. To now transfer all of this power to the hands of federal bureaucrats is a clear violation of the 10^th Amendment to the Constitution.

5. Both the House and Senate versions of the bill provide for massive tax increases for most Americans. However, the Senate version also imposes a “tax penalty” on anyone who fails to purchase the health care insurance the Federal bureaucracy deems that person or family needs. This is not in fact, a tax, but a “fine” and failure to pay it can lead to imprisonment. This is therefore an attempt to bypass the provisions of the due process clause of the 5^th Amendment to the Constitution and take away property and liberty without “due process of law”.

6. By the very nature of this legislation there will have to be rationing of health care. The Senate Bill lays the ground work for this on page 1,000 in section 3403 by establishing an “independent” Medicare advisory board to make decisions about everything from Medicare payments to what type of medical devices can be paid for. The bill calls for specific reductions in Medicare benefits and prohibits seniors from using their own money to get the health care they desire. This is another massive violation of the due process clause and is aimed at older Americans.

7. What makes this and other portions of the bill even worse are the provisions throughout the legislation to limit the right of Americans to seek administrative or court review of the decisions made under the law. There are also new rules established to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible for a future Congress to repeal sections of the law or even modify them. This includes the rationing provisions which ultimately allow federal bureaucrats to make life and death decisions for people. The Congress is again ignoring the 5^th Amendment.

8. When you further consider the fact that a large number of people will be allowed access to the personal financial and medical information of individual Americans who are enforced to enroll in the health care plans you are also inevitably looking at violations of the right to privacy and the prohibitions against illegal searches contained in the 4^th Amendment to the Constitution.

9. Last, members of the Senate should be asked to point out the specific language in the bill that prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for abortions, protects the right of conscience of those members of the medical community that don’t want to participate in abortions, and finally provides any enforcement mechanism to keep illegal aliens from participating in the programs set up in the bill. They won’t be able to cite any of these provisions because they don’t exist.

This is not just a bad law; it is a direct assault on the Constitution of the United States and the rights of individual Americans. If it passes my next blog on this subject will detail the legal and political steps that we can take to stop the implementation of this power grab. Hopefully, I won’t have to write that article.

Call and write your elected officials and let them know you expect them to uphold our Constitution!

New Year's Resolution

2010-01-03T21:25:00.000-06:00

I am going to slow down and better manage my time. I will start obeying the speed limit. I will put my fork down between bites. I will really listen when people speak to me. I will take the time to exercise regularly (you cannot make time, you must take it). Although I will enjoy the freedom of being retired, I will use my time wisely. Even though retired, I will be a productive member of society. I will not waste away into nothingness. I will set goals, and march down the field one first down at a time until my goals are reached. Even if I have to punt, I will regroup and start again.

Leadership and Character, added (from 12/15/09)

2009-12-29T22:23:00.000-06:00

Here is a quote from the "Father of American Scholarship and Education", Noah Webster: "In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular party of the candidate - look to his character . . . It is alleged by men of loose principals or defective views of the subject that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness."

Remember this the next time you go to the polls to elect our leaders.

Over 50

2009-12-29T17:00:00.001-06:00

I am over fifty. As recommended by some sadomasochist medical panel, I just had a prostate exam. Not only is the procedure embarrassing and extremely uncomfortable, I find it hard to believe that the doctor is able to diagnose a problem with the front end by probing the rear end. (However, just in case I have to see this doctor again, I did laugh at his “little fingers” poke, I mean joke.) Maybe this will be one of the procedures that ObamaCare will say is no longer needed. As I was kneeling face down on the end of the examining table, I just couldn’t get the image of Jack Elam as the proctologist in “Cannonball Run” out of my mind. My, I have had a great day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PcMJ9D8X0

Gift Giving

2009-12-28T09:28:00.000-06:00

One of the most important things the Lord has given to help guide me through life is a conscience. Throughout my life, it has been a reliable guide. I cannot think of a single bad action that I have taken when my conscience did not alert me to my impending transgression. Did the alert always stop me from making the wrong choice? Regretfully, no. In fact, sometimes the warning just further fueled my resolve to "do wrong." Sometimes it made me rethink my rationale for an action or decision.

I have been greatly blessed. I pray that the Lord will continue to give me the wisdom to properly use what I have been given. However, my conscience does bother me about gift-giving at Christmas. I believe we should give gifts at Christmas, both to remember what Christ gave for us, and to show our love and charity to others (Many Bibles interpret "love" and "charity" as the same word. They may be correct to do so. I think "love" is the intangible goodness that we can give to others, while "charity" is the tangible.) I think many people go way overboard when it comes to gift-giving at Christmas. I think this reduces the importance of the gifts, and increases the importance of commercialism in our Christian Holiday. I believe this because my conscience told me so.

Christ and Santa

2009-12-28T09:06:00.002-06:00

Every year about this time I start hearing people question whether, as Christians, we should include Santa Claus in our celebration of Christmas. We exert so much effort in trying to get the world to remember the "Reason for the Season", and to "not take Christ out of Christmas", it seems foolish that most of us will then exhort our children to "tell Santa what you want" or "go to bed so Santa and his reindeer can come." Personally, I like the tradition of Santa. As with anything, Santa can be misused. I believe that we, as Christians, can use Santa to teach valuable lessons to our young children.

Christ extols love and charity. We can use Santa to teach our youngsters these same virtues. Although young kids are much more excited by what gifts they are getting than what is being given to others, allowing them to see our own excitement at both giving and receiving can teach valuable lessons. It is OK, when working with the very young, to use the "Jolly Old Elf" to teach the valuable lessons of love and kindness. Don't worry about your child growing up to worship Santa instead of Jesus. As they mature, they will naturally understand the difference between make-believe and reality. They will no longer enjoy hearing about Peter Rabbit and Donald Duck, instead wanting to read Huckleberry Finn and Nancy Drew. In fact, in most cases (certainly with my four children) your children will stop believing in Santa without any help from you. It will just happen (usually before puberty.)

HOWEVER, Do not delay teaching your children about Jesus. They should start hearing the wonderful stories of the Bible at a very early age. Just remember what the Bible says about Santa. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man (an adult), I put away childish things." 1 Cor. 13:11

Leadership and Character

2009-12-15T20:35:00.001-06:00

What makes a good leader? General Norman Schwarzkopf, the incredibly gifted military leader, powerfully summarizes it this way: "Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character...but if you must be without one, be without strategy!" Real leadership is not about charisma or charm, for leadership based upon either is at best flimsy and at worst dangerous. Peter Drucker once said, "Charisma has nothing to do with leadership. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao were the most charismatic leaders of the 20th century. If that is leadership, I want no part of it!" Strategy, charisma and skill are all important tools used by leaders, but CHARACTER is what defines a good leader. (Quotes provided by Dr. Jim Harris)

Character is defined as, "qualities of honesty, courage, moral excellence; integrity." A good leader has moral and ethical strength. He is the same person in the dark as he is in the light. A good leader speaks forthrightly, insuring that the truth is clear for all to hear. A good leader does not gain or keep followers by trick or deception, nor by force. Although a leader exhorts his followers in order to accomplish his goals, he does so with honesty.

Can the Character of your leaders be measured? I think it can by asking yourself these three simple questions about your leader(s): 1. Does your leader state clearly his position when asked? If not, does he "talk around" the issue in order to avoid having to commit to a personal position? Do not confuse a simple "I don't know" with avoiding taking a position. "I don't know" is often the most honest answer possible, and is heard too seldom. A good leader is not afraid to state his position. 2. Does your leader maintain his position no matter the audience or the situation? A good leader may sing a different tune depending on the circumstance, but the words will be the same, because they are the truth. 3. Does your leader act in a morally upright manner, both professionally and personally? A good leader believes in the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." A good leader holds dear his commitments. Although no one is perfect, a good leader strives to keep promises made, and uphold oaths taken. Finally, a good leader will admit fault when required.

How are your leaders doing? How are our President, Congressmen and other elected officials doing? If any of them are of questionable Character, you should do whatever is in your power to have them replaced.

I hope that you are allowing Jesus to be your most trusted leader. Not only did He prove Himself to be a good leader while walking as a man on earth, He is still. He will always tell you the truth. He will never lie. He will never abandon you. He will fulfill His promise of giving you life everlasting if you will only commit to following Him.

Pictures

2009-12-13T18:23:00.001-06:00

Once upon a time there was a thing called film. Much of it was made by Kodak. It was used to record visual images, called pictures. The film had to be processed, or developed, in order to see the pictures. Almost everybody had to send the film off, usually through a drug store, in order to have the film developed. You would get your pictures back in a week or so. Some stores would allow you to review your pictures and not pay for those that were overexposed (too much light), underexposed (too dark), or just bad. Although not really expensive, between the cost of the film and the developing, you normally only took "important" pictures. The really good pictures might be framed and displayed. Most went into the "picture box" never to be seen again (except during family reunions when the box might be found under the bed and opened in order to embarrass Aunt Martha whose hair was no longer black, or Uncle Joe whose hair was no longer.) Then the world went digital!

Now pictures are instant. As soon as you take the picture, you see it. If good, you keep it. If not, you delete it. If you forget your camera, no problem, use your phone. No phone, use your laptop. No way to take a picture? Ask anyone around you to take the picture and email it to you. It is there before you get home. Picture box? No way. I-Photo. Not only can you store unlimited pictures in your gigabytes of storage, they will be indexed by date, GPS coordinate, and facial features. You can email your pictures, share them online, and print them. Better yet, you can modify them. No longer is it necessary to tear a picture in two in order to get rid of the old boy friend. Now you can just erase him! Have you gained too much weight for the class reunion program? Hit the "slim" button. Grass not green enough? Enhance it.

I guess digital photography is better than film. It is certainly easier. But are your photos as valued as they once were? Or has speed, economy and ease taken away some of the importance we once placed on a good picture? In fact, has speed, economy and ease taken away some of the importance we once placed on many things in our lives?

Winners and Losers

2009-11-27T23:27:00.002-06:00

My Auburn Tigers played a great game against our arch rivals, the Alabama Elephants. The Tigers' defense looked better than they had all year. We shut down their Heisman Trophy candidate running back, holding him to less than 2 yards per carry. Our offense looked good. Chris Todd become the record holder with 21 touchdown passes for the season. We had more total yards. We just looked better. Alabama was never in the lead.

Until less than two minutes remained in the game. We got tired. We lost our focus. Then Alabama scored to go ahead. And we lost the game.

It was an exciting game. A lot of things went right. But when it came to winning or losing, we lost. But football is just a game, and there is always next year.

Our country is at a crossroads. We have been the most properous and succesful country on Earth because of our freedoms, and our faith in God. Both are under attack. The USA may have played a great game so far, but I am afraid what has kept us in the lead is no longer important to us. Freedom and faith are no longer in our play book. Are we tired? Have we lost our focus? I say we need a Pep Rally to remind us what is really important, because our freedoms, our faith and our future are not "just a game."

Our Constitution in Jeopardy

2009-11-23T08:55:00.001-06:00

Please read this blog by Michael Connelly detailing how "healthcare reform" will destroy our freedoms.

http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/entries/general/the-obamacare-juggernaut-continues

Billboards and Life

2009-11-10T08:33:00.001-06:00

Through a business arrangement, I met a man whom I think will become a friend. He loves the outdoors, and is a dynamic Christian, speaking to groups across the country. When he learned that I was from Alabama, he mentioned that he had a good friend in Sylacauga, David Pursell. David is an Auburn graduate who owns FarmLinks, a golf resort and grass research facility on Lay Lake. I had never heard of David or FarmLinks.

It is a small world after all (to quote a famous mouse.) Not two weeks after having the conversation about David Pursell, my son-in-law asked me if I have ever heard of FarmLinks? It turns out that David Pursell is going to speak at the ACIPCO Leadership Association meeting in November (where my son-in-law is employed). In addition, on my next trip to Auburn to see the Tigers beat Ole Miss, I see the huge billboard for FarmLinks, that I am sure I have passed many times without every noticing. Then, when I get to the game, I see that FarmLinks advertises on the big screen in the stadium! It is amazing how much of the world just passes me by without ever being realized until there is something that causes me to take notice.

I am afraid that is how so many people are with Jesus. They hear about Him all of their lives, but he becomes just another billboard on the cluttered side of the highway of life. He is often passed by until a "bump in the road" jars them out of their complacence. Little do they know that if they will stay close to Him, He will make the whole journey smoother. Trusting Jesus will not improve your gas mileage, nor will he appear to fix your flat. But He will make your life better.

Veterans Day

2009-11-09T09:05:00.000-06:00

I am a veteran. Luckily, during my six years in the US Army, there were no major conflicts in which I was involved. However, almost all of my superiors with whom I served were combat veterans. I give thanks this Veterans Day for their sacrifice, and for all of those who give their very lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
Regretfully, I believe that the most imminent threat to our Country today is coming from within, not from without. I believe the greatest threat to our freedoms is the almost total disregard of our Constitution. Every elected official in Washington swears to "uphold the Constitution", but then most do not even give it lip service. It will only be by restoring the Constitution to its rightful place as THE Law of the Land, that we will be able to truly honor those who have fought and died to defend it. I am a Constitutional Conservative. I believe that most of the problems with our government would be solved by a literal interpretation of the tenth amendment (the Federal government only has jurisdiction over those items enumerated in the Constitution.) Hopefully the Supreme Court will stop creating new laws, but rather start enforcing the Constitution.

However, until that happens, I believe the American People must do the following three things to save our country: 1. Pass a Constitutional Amendment to limit members of Congress to two terms. 2. Pass a Constitutional Amendment requiring a balanced budget. 3. Institute the "Fair Tax." See my earlier blog for more on these three topics.

Auburn Tigers Football

2009-10-19T08:31:00.000-05:00

I am an Auburn Tigers Football fan. I grew up that way. My oldest sibling (a brother ten years my senior) went to Auburn, as did another brother and a sister. My father-in-law graduated from Auburn in 1956, while it was called the Alabama Polytechnic Institute. Numerous in-laws and nieces and nephews have graduated from Auburn. My wife and I go to almost every Auburn Football game. We usually tail-gate with friends and family. Saturday afternoons in Auburn are great! There is nothing in football that will evoke team spirit like watching Auburn's War Eagle soar over the crowd prior to the game.

It is really great when Auburn wins the game. It is not so great when Auburn loses. It is horrible when Auburn loses to that school in Tuscaloosa. Auburn beat them six years in a row, 2002-2007. Our victory this year will be a great upset! I have good friends (few relatives) who are fans of the team from Tuscaloosa. We are usually polite when discussing football, although the rivalry between the two schools has been called one of the most intense in the nation.

I like Auburn. I like football. I like Auburn Football. Warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Eagle, HEY!

Our Great Country

2009-10-16T17:45:00.001-05:00

The United States of America is the greatest country in the World. We are great because of our economy. Even in “slow” economic times, our standard of living is worlds ahead of any other place on earth. We are great because of our military. Everybody knows that we are the “big dog”, and we can bite. We are great because of our freedoms. Those of us who criticize the most are living proof.

But how did we get to be so great in so many ways? I believe it is because God-fearing men and women were and are willing to give up personal gain for the good of all. George Washington could have dined with the King of England; instead he suffered through Valley Forge. Japan and most of Europe, including France, could easily be territories of the United States; instead we spent billions of dollars rebuilding those countries after World War II. We could be paying five-cents per gallon for Kuwaiti and Iraqi oil; instead we keep troops there to assure their peace. These are but a few of the many instances of where we could have taken, but instead we gave.

It is hard for most people and countries of the world to understand that we only want peace. We do not want more territory, or we would have it. We do not want to subjugate more peoples, or they would be ours. Instead, we want to assure that people everywhere have the same rights and opportunities that we take for granted, and we want to assure that our rights and opportunities are not taken away.

Remember those who give so that others may have. The most obvious, and with the most to lose, are those in our military services. Remember, and give thanks for, everyone that is willing to give up their life so that we may have life, and have it more abundantly.

Eroding the Constitution Through Healthcare Reform

2009-10-16T08:19:00.000-05:00

The following is from the website of Michael Connelly (http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/). You should check out his site. Michael Connelly of Carrollton, Texas is a Constitutional lawyer and has read the entire health care bill and has some comments, not about the bill, but about the effects on our Constitution. It's a broader picture than just health care reform.

It's time we sit up and pay attention; once this sort of thing happens, it will be irreversible. We have reason to be very afraid of what is happening.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE BILLS

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled.

However, as scary as all of that it, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead, it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated. If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people and the businesses they own. The irony is that the Congress doesn't have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with. I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access by the appointees of the Obama administration of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital. All of this is a direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance or if you have private insurance that is not deemed "acceptable" to the "Health Choices Administrator" appointed by Obama there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a "tax" instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the "due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much out the original ten in the Bill of Rights that are effectively nullified by this law. It doesn't stop there though. The 9th Amendment that provides: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The 10th Amendment states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea. This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights. Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation" to support the Constitution. If I was a member of Congress, I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat I suggest they consult the source. Here is a link to the Constitution: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html
And another to the Bill of Rights: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html

There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us.

Michael Connelly
Retired Attorney, Constitutional Law Instructor
Carrollton , Texas
http://michaelconnelly.viviti.com/

Speed vs. Quality

2009-10-15T12:56:00.001-05:00

This is a response I made to someone else's blog (RobbieLaney's On My Mind) concerning the use of shortcuts and abbreviations while texting. I thought I would include it here so all my followers could see it.

The texting “language” is merely part of the inevitable regression of society caused by the speeding up and dumbing down of communication. Although texting shortcuts make e-talk much faster (and maybe more exclusive as some of us have no idea how to translate it!), it perpetuates the myth that speed is better than quality. A more sinister example of speed at the expense of quality are the TV news shows you see today. Why were the evening news hosts Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite so much more respected newsmen then any of the talking heads on today’s news shows? They (and/or their editors and producers) had all day to sift through the junk and find the valuable nuggets, and then create a presentation that would explain the story. We were not forced to hear and see all the trivial sludge that is thrown up on the screen today in order to insure that each network is “first” with the story, and to enable them to have something to wrap around their 24-hours of advertisements.

States' Rights

2009-10-15T09:31:00.002-05:00

I believe that the founders of our country felt that a limited Federal government was the right thing to insure the success of the new Republic. It is also obvious to me that they felt that most government should be at the State level. The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution (part of our Bill of Rights) says "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution or prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

In the Federalist Papers, Number 17, Hamilton responds to the objection that the new Constitution would allow the Federal government the ability to assume too much power by enacting laws that should stay at the State level. His answer to this argument makes it clear that we should have a limited Federal government (although clearly Hamilton had no idea of the mere wantonness and lust of domination our modern politicians would demonstrate.) Hamilton felt that the Federal government should be concerned with interstate and international commerce, finance, negotiation and war. Congress is way too busy for its own good. They debate so many laws, and meddle in so many things that they should have no interest in (mostly trivial), that very little gets done. And even fewer good things. They admit that they do not have time to even read the bills they are passing. The individual States should rise up and demand that they be given back the rights guaranteed by our Constitution.

I highly recommend that every American read "The Federalist" by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison. It should be required reading for every 7th grader and every 12th grader, for it explains what our founding fathers were thinking when they fought for our freedoms and wrote our Constitution.

Who Is In Control of the World?

2009-10-11T18:31:00.008-05:00

I have often heard Christians debate “free will” and “predestination.” Both are clearly taught in the Bible. Although I do not claim to be a Bible scholar, I am a Christian and I believe that God has given all Christians the mental capacity to understand his teachings. I also believe that many Christians spend too much time looking at a word, when they should be looking at the Book. One thing Jesus said that is pretty easy to understand is that “you should come as little children” (Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16). I think the following analogy explains in childlike terms how both “free will” and “predestination” can exist together.

First, we must agree on some basic truths: 1. God is Truth. If He said it, it is true. 2. God is right. If He does it, it is the right thing to do. 3. God created a natural world that we live in. If we fall in the lake, we get wet. If we touch a hot stove, we get burned. If we have no food, we starve. These things happen whether we are good or bad, Christian or Atheist. 4. God can do miracles. What is a miracle? It is when God suspends the natural laws. We fall in the lake, but instead of getting wet, we walk on water. We are thrown in a fiery furnace, and our hair is not even singed. We use the last flour in the barrel, but it never runs out.

How does God run the world? It is as if God is sitting on the top of a high mountain. Around the bottom of the mountain He has built a train track, called Time. The rails run from the beginning of Time to the end of Time. It is a good track. The rails are strong and cannot be moved. God can see the beginning, the end, and everywhere in between. On the track is a train. The train is called Now. God can see the train wherever it is on the track of Time. There are passengers on the train, in Now. They only experience what is happening on the train, Now. God controls the train. It travels at His command. It hardly ever stops, although once God did allow Joshua to stop the train (Joshua 10:12.) The passengers sometime feel like the train is speeding up as they get older. The passengers do not control the train. The train’s route and destination are predestined. God has already laid the tracks and there is nothing the passengers can do to move them. However, the passengers can move about on the train. They can change seats. They can change traveling companions. They can even change cars. The passengers can change what is happening on the train, but they cannot change the big picture they see when they look out the windows. The passengers control what they do on the train. They cannot get off the train until God calls them. While on the train, the passengers can do good, and they can do bad. They are living in the natural world while on the train, and are affected and controlled by the natural laws. Even though they are on the train and living in the natural world, God created each one of them. Because God is the Creator, it is His privilege to create as He sees fit. Some He made handsome, some not so. Some He made brilliant, some not so. Some He created for special purposes, some not so. However, they are all on the same train. Unless God decides to perform a miracle, they will all live in the natural world on the train, abiding by its rules, until they die. God knows that some will desire to know Him. He also knows that some will not. Remember, God can see both ends of the track, Time. Those who know Him will share eternity with Him on the Mountain. Those who do not know Him will spend eternity separated from Him. But all will eventually get off the train and no longer be constrained by the tracks, Time.

God has put a Conductor on the train. If we follow the guidance of the Conductor, our trip will be more peaceful and more successful than if we disregard the Conductor. The closer we can stay to the Conductor, the better our trip will be! The Conductor’s name is Jesus. I pray that you will always travel close by His side.

The Letter of Paul the Apostle to the Romans is a great place to learn more about God and His love for you.

National Parks

2009-10-11T09:15:00.005-05:00

PBS recently ran a series called "National Parks, America's Best Idea" by Ken Burns. I strongly suggest that anyone with an interest in our National Parks or conservation or natural beauty watch this series. Even though I am not a "tree hugger", I do love the outdoors and nature and am glad that we have our National Parks, National Monuments and National Forests.

However, I am concerned about what the Federal Government has done in Alaska, our largest and most "natural" state. The Federal Government owns 65% of Alaska. Over 60% of this land (40% of Alaska) is National Parks, Refuges, Forests, etc. The State of Alaska owns 24% of the land. 3% is State Parks, etc. Alaska Native Corporations own 10% of Alaska. Only 1% of the largest state in the Union is owned by private citizens. In contrast, Texas (our second largest state) land ownership breaks down like this: Federal - 2.6%, State - 3.0%, Local - 0.14%, Private ownership of land in Texas - 94%.

Is Texas that much "less desirable" to the Feds than Alaska (they both have oil)? Or, was Texas settled before Big Government and special interests took over Washington? Don't get me wrong. I love the wildness that is Alaska. I hope to continue making regular treks to the Great Land to experience more and more of her beauty and strength. But come on, private land could be doubled and it would be 2% of the state. I think it could stand it.

Free Market

2009-10-10T22:59:00.004-05:00

The free market creates and maintains free people. A regulated market requires that the people also be regulated. Our government has no business being in business, except for the military and some other minor national regulatory agencies. The Federal Government should not be involved in private business, and most other "national" agencies and departments should be either closed down or turned over to the individual states. Ask any small business owner (the creators of more than 50% of all private sector jobs in the United States) what is the biggest headache and hindrance of running their business and they will say "government regulations and paperwork."

I am particularly concerned about the Department of Education that has the power to control what is taught in our schools, and who has access to higher education opportunities. Of course, the IRS is a close second not only because of the number of regulations, but the inability for anyone, even the IRS, to tell you what the regulations mean and how to properly comply (hence the need for armies of lawyers and accoutants to help you stay out of trouble.)

Three Things That Will Save Our Country

2009-10-10T10:07:00.003-05:00

We need to do three things to save our country:

1. Pass a Constitutional Amendment to restrict Congressmen and Senators to two terms, just like we have with the President.
2. Do away with the IRS and replace it with a Federal consumption tax.
3. Pass a Constitutional Amendment to require a Federal balanced budget, except in times of Declared war or Declared national emergency (both declared by Congress.)

Whether you are Democrat or Republican, left or right, straight or gay, whether you are religious or atheist, pro-life or pro-choice, whatever your "cause", none of these three actions will hurt you. The only people who will be hurt by these actions will be the professional politicians who are robbing us and our posterity, and those who want the government to provide for their every need by redistributing the wealth of America (commonly referred to as robbing Peter to pay Paul.)

Term Limits (even if crooks are elected, they will only be there a few
years.)
Fair Tax (tax what I spend, not what I earn.)
Balanced Budget (force the government to live by the same rules the rest of US have to live by.)

That is what I think. What do you think?