Friday, March 6, 2009

We the People

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This post is the Preamble to my new Book, Killing the Giants: the Road to Nihilism.


Preamble

Preamble to the US Constitution

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

***

Although the Constitution is too large for this publication, it cannot be overstated that the first three words of its preamble alone, make a huge statement about the United States. It begins with a firm statement concerning who has the ultimate authority in this country: We the People. We formed the more perfect union. We established Justice. We insured domestic Tranquility. We provided for the common defense, promoted the general Welfare, and secured the Blessings of Liberty to our Posterity. The Preamble to our Constitution does not say the Elite, the Fed, or name any Governmental entity. It gives these rights and responsibilities to “We the People”. It is the people who have offered up their grandfathers, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters lives to establish and maintain this great nation. And it is the people who will continue to do so.

This Book was written out of a passion to see the United States return to the principle outlined in President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address,

“…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Nothing is more tyrannical than a government that is led by a secret clan, who are no more voted into office than the family pets who occupy the White House. Consequently, any elected official who takes orders of any kind, or pursues a global policy that is contrary to the general welfare of the citizens of the United States, should at the very least be tried for treason and immediately banned from public office.

Why ‘We the People’ have not demanded a more transparent government is beyond me. Why ‘We the People’ have not demanded that our elected officials stop the pursuit of globalism at the expense of our sovereignty and national security, is beyond my comprehension. Why ‘We the People’ have not demanded the immediate termination of the partisan diversions of fast-paced passage of bills that slip past public scrutiny, and the innumerable bills that freely hand our tax dollars over to corporations and pet projects that are nothing more than common thievery, is a sign that we have been completely subjugated to the whims of an elite ruling class that assumes our idiocy!

We the people need to rise up once again, and reclaim the authority that was given to us by our forefathers, and by the very rights afforded to us by the God of the Universe. Our civic duties should no longer be viewed as a ‘bore’, but rather a responsibility that each one of us must carry to our graves. We the People, are these United States of America.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Yes we can!

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After reading some comments posted on my Facebook account, concerning our deviant Washington scoundrels, I wrote a little poem responding to my politically savvy friends! So I want to say thank you to all of you who responded and consequently inspired me to take my writing to the next level. Long Live Liberty, the American Dream, our Unalienable Rights & God Bless America Please!

Tea Parties are great.
As duly noted too late.
But where our power lies,
Is not within our eyes.

We are human, same as the elite.
But we kneel at the makers feet.
Our rights and currency they may keep .
But revulsion they shall reap.

Although they may seem to win,
They conquer us by sin.
Yet by the will of God, we retain
A faith and courage to sustain.

Though the queen may count us ignorant, unthinking.
We are not too naive to know when somethings stinking.
So, yes we can protest.. do not give in to fear.
We mustn't devolve our liberty my dear.

But where have we been these many years...
Where have we kept our bottled fears...
Now is not the time to tv watch and tow the line
Organize, I say... instead of whine!

Jeff Bennington

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Just think for a minute!

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I have to admit, I have not always been one to spend much time pondering and analyzing the mysteries of life. I'm 100% guilty of being somewhat of a ditzy blonde type, who would simply waltz through life and roll with the punches. But for some reason, that is beginning to change. Maybe my thinking type wife is beginning to rub off on me. Or maybe the damage to my Cerebral Cortex from my car accident back in 1989 is finally beginning to heal. I hope so!

What Im saying is; I thank God that I am beginning to look at things differently. For example: I look at people differently. I have a much higher grace quotient than I did in the past. I look at my family differently. I know that I cannot control their futures. I can only guide them. I look at work, our government, my past, my future all very differently than I did when I was younger. All of which, I think and feel more deeply about than I ever have. I guess you can call that growing up. Or you can call it taking life more seriously. I call it walking around constantly thinking, being weighed down by things that probably shouldn't bother me. Whatever it is, it certainly has made me more aware, and much more intent in what I do.

When I sit back and think about who I would be if I just waited for life to unfold before me, or waited for events to take place, I find myself in a very lonely, isolated place. But if I intentionally choose to move forward, or look deeper at the world around me, I see so much more happening. Some times I like what I see, and other times I'm scared out of my mind at what is going on around us.

What I'm talking about here, is that I am concerned that we are becoming a generation controlled by an anchored desire to be entertained rather than to think. I fear that we as a nation have lost the ability to think. I fear that we have made thinking nothing more than a pastime rather than a way of life, because we have been so catered to, with our flat-screen, American idol, iPod culture. We are told what to think. We are told what reality is. And we have believed the lie. I wonder why we as Americans have not stormed Washington and strung up all of those idiots, who time after time vote to hand our hard earned money to special interest groups and lobbyists, all the while throwing in legislation (PORK) that take away our rights.

I fear we have lost the ability to see past the political rhetoric and partisan pep talks. I fear that we will be satisfied with the status-quo as long as we are not starving! But until that day comes, we are becoming nothing more than frogs sitting in a pot of warm water, waiting for it to come to a boil. But by the time we realize what is happening it will be too late. I mean what's wrong with $700 billion here and $787 billion there? What's a few cents tacked on to our mileage here and a little more paper work to buy a gun there? Not much... but just think for a minute... and think about what you will be doing in 10 years if you and 350 million of your neighbors keep pace with our current social and entertainment trends and never stop to think!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Mayoral update!

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Just in case anyone in Kokomo, Indiana is concerned about the financial and ethical stability of our fair city, I am here to put your minds at ease! While on a date with my wife last Friday, I had the fortunate experience of running into one of our good friends, who happened to be dinning with Greg Goodnight, the Mayor of Kokomo. We said "Hi", and joked around for a minute as we got through the formalities of the introductions. But then they asked us to stay and hang out with them for a while. Of course we were up for a good night of fun and conversation, so we sat down and chatted with our new friends.

As it turned out, I had already met Greg and his wife a few years back while working at their home. I just didn't really know who they were. Nor was I aware of their civic involvement. But now that he is the Mayor of Kokomo, I recognized his face and eventually we talked about our previous home repair co-experience (Which was a good one by the way). But we also talked about the state of the city.

Being the political bystander that I am, I asked him the questions that any informed citizen should already know like: "What kind of shape is Kokomo in financially?" and "How is the economy affecting Kokomo's tax base?". Then of course, he answered those questions like any informed mayor should do; with confidence and knowledge. He was pleased to inform me that Kokomo is actually doing very well. They have trimmed the budget and are keeping additional debt at bay. He further informed me that while other cities in the state are accumulating debt, Kokomo is actually finding creative ways to save money!

So, kudos to Greg and his team. It seems as if he is doing a great job when other cities are struggling. And by the way, he and his wife were very friendly and pleasant to us even though we were somewhat strangers. He is obviously a thinking man and avoids the common distractions of life such as television and excessive entertainment. What a role model! Not only to me but to fathers and leaders everywhere. After dining with him that evening, I could discern the he deeply cares about his family, his friends and the city of Kokomo. He is focused, intelligent and quick witted. All in all, he is what I call a good guy! And I think that as long as Greg Goodnight is overseeing the City of Firsts, we are in good hands in good times and bad! Go Greg!

Friday, January 30, 2009

Call me Paranoid!

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So, we are sending more of our tax dollars into oblivion huh? Well I'm not surprised. Of course, since I have four children, I imagine I will get a pretty good chunk of change. But come on... will someone please tell me how spending another 80+ Billion of our hard earned tax dollars is a "Change"? George W. Bush did this too, and still, here we are. I got over $4,000 from Bush's stimulus package, because of the size of our family. That was nice, but there is a price to pay that most people don't think about. Here are a few of the things we as Americans are going to lose if this monetary free for all continues.

-Our taxes will continue to increase over time giving us less buying and saving power.
-We will move to a more Socialist economy/government (that is a no brainer).
-The freedom loving, self sufficient American mentality that grew this nation into what it is will become a more Government needy Society.
-Americans will take less risk.
-Americans will lose their motivation to challenge the government, because they will not only become dependant on it, but the government will become so big that we will no longer be able to hold the system accountable to its constituents. This is already taking place. That is why corruption is becoming more prevalent.
-We will spend the stimulus money on consumable stuff, perpetuating our consumeristic society, and decreasing our savings accounts. As a result, this will only mask our economic problems.
-Until America rebuilds our manufacturing base and brings good paying jobs back to America, we will continue to struggle. People will continue to lose jobs, lose homes , and file bankruptcy.

To sum this up, I fervently believe that financial and taxpayer bailouts are only a band aid, that will not result in a long term economic fix. I am not an economist. But I have read that economists overwhelmingly are opposed to bail outs as an economic fix. So then I have to ask; Why are we doing this to our country? Surely the politicians know that our children will have a huge bill to pay if this continues. Are they motivated by short term fixes or long term agendas? Call me paranoid, but something isn't right here!

Friday, January 16, 2009

What is wrong with this picture?

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The Illinois scandal created by Rod Blagojevich, the financial thievery by Bernard Madoff, and now the Satyam billion dollar scam is definitely a sign of the times. But their is a striking difference in the way America and India have approached these public officials. For several weeks, Rod Blag as he is called, was allowed to run free, make a Senate appointment and arrogantly run wild like a child who is without discipline. Bernard Madoff, continues to be out on bail even though there are signs that he is transferring his assets. But in India, former Chairman Raju and CFO Vadlamani were immediately brought to prison after their arrest. Wow! What a contrast.

Don't get me wrong; I believe in the right of innocent until proven guilty. But come on! Our political correctness and lack of decisive criminal justice is giving the future corporate criminals of America the wrong message. Our justice system must make a stronger statement about how it is going to handle corporate and political criminals. These folks are embezzling family fortunes, entrenching political corruption, and swindling the retirement funds of thousands of people. They are common thieves and thugs and should be treated as such. Why are we delaying justice with Rod Blag? Why is Madoff allowed to run free? Why can't we bag those guys, lock em up and fast forward the judicial process? We can get to the parking ticket and misdemeanor cases later! I think we could make a strong statement to corporate criminals if we the people chased them down like the people in India! Or how about cutting their thieving hands off like they do in the Middle east? In India, the police were forcing themselves through the angry mob of outraged citizens for gods sake!

So what is wrong with this picture? Are we that apathetic about issues of morality and corporate crime? Or do the schemes run deeper than what meets the eye? What I want to know is; How many politicians and executives are rushing to clear their names before the witch hunt begins? How many "Deals" are the prosecutors making with other high level execs? Obviously, there are a lot of unanswered questions. But maybe what is wrong with this picture has more to do with a MUCH LARGER group of corporate criminals than civic apathy!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The President is hearing Voices!

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In a recent response to a comment at AboveTopSecret.com, I made the following comments about the Presidents ability to bring change. Of course I believe inspiring change and making change happen are 2 different things. Anyway, here is what I wrote....

"I hear you brother! There isn't any evidence that a President in recent history has actually kept in touch with the reality of his constituents. A Pres. has so many voices... so many influences and forces coming at him that it is impossible for him to listen to all of that input and not be influenced himself. And I do not believe that those voices (i.e. his cabinet, advisors, and business leaders) are meek and mild! The Pres. is not the only one in Washington with an agenda. And I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone could hold up to the kind of pressure that he will be under by those voices... the powers that be.

If the Pres. actually had the nerve and stamina to hold his own for four years, we would be in a different country right now. If it was that easy to remain true to the American public, than we would still be a republic rather than a Businesstocracy. But we are not the republic; we are not a democracy. America has been duped! And if you watched how ecstatic and happy the voters were whenever Barrack spoke, no matter what he said, it is obvious that we have not learned a single single thing about how politicians work. What has he said that is new? What part of tax relief, health care, budget balancing or jobs for all have we not heard before? Listen, the Pres. is no longer in a position to make a difference for the American people. Barrack will find that out soon enough and he will be just as disillusioned as we are! www.chasingthegiants.com"