I'm a little disappointed that after less than 5 months in office President Obama is already SOOO predictable.
In keeping with his 'politics of identity' he has selected Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee to the Supreme Court. An utterly predictable, political move.
While I could take up much space criticizing this nomination, (and may do so later) suffice for now to make the most cogent of all the arguments.
We've forgotten the most basic principles upon which our nation was framed by our inspired Founding Fathers. One of which is the apolitical nature of the judicial branch. The reason federal judges are not elected, and once appointed cannot be removed, is to prevent their appointments from becoming politicized.
Yeah, I know, sounds funny today.
There is not supposed to be any political litmus test for nominees. (Despite what you've heard from Sen. Schumer.) It shouldn't matter if a Justice is conservative, liberal, or anywhere in between. It shouldn't matter because a Justice is supposed to check those biases at the door. When the robe goes on, the politics and ideology go out.
Which brings us to the only legitimate litmus test for nominees to the courts. Are they able to elevate themselves above their biases and let justice truly be blind?
And it is this test which Sotomayor, based on her record and her own words, fails miserably.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Quick Hit
I now proclaim that anyone with a Facebook account has waived their right to complain about waiting in line, poor service, traffic congestion, etc.
You have, by your own actions, declared your time to be of little worth.
You have, by your own actions, declared your time to be of little worth.
At what price freedom?
You may be following the story of young Daniel Hauser. He's the 14 year old boy, diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, that went missing with his mother last week.
They ran to escape a court order mandating that he begin chemotherapy. His family objects to the procedure for religious reasons.
I would certainly make a different decision if it were my child. And a part of me is glad Daniel will now be getting the life saving treatments.
But I'm flabbergasted at the court's intrusion.
I imagine some of you reading this post agree with the judge's decision to issue the court order, overriding the wishes of Daniel's parents. After all, doctors say he'll die without the treatments. Surely any religious belief that causes parents to risk their child's life is irrational. Right?
But I think there is a higher principle at stake. Perhaps a couple. Religious freedom and parental rights.
How long will it be until a judge somewhere rules one of your religious practices to be irrational?
They ran to escape a court order mandating that he begin chemotherapy. His family objects to the procedure for religious reasons.
I would certainly make a different decision if it were my child. And a part of me is glad Daniel will now be getting the life saving treatments.
But I'm flabbergasted at the court's intrusion.
I imagine some of you reading this post agree with the judge's decision to issue the court order, overriding the wishes of Daniel's parents. After all, doctors say he'll die without the treatments. Surely any religious belief that causes parents to risk their child's life is irrational. Right?
But I think there is a higher principle at stake. Perhaps a couple. Religious freedom and parental rights.
How long will it be until a judge somewhere rules one of your religious practices to be irrational?
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Frog in the water
We all know the metaphor. A frog put in a pot of boiling water would jump right out. But a frog put in comfortable water will enjoy his jacuzzi while the heat is increased and the frog boils to death.
We have enjoyed the nice warm bath of freedom and free enterprise most of our lives. For those that have not noticed yet THE WATER IS GETTING HOT!
Our great-grandparents would have wretched at the idea of entrusting the government with the education of our youth.
Our grandparents would never have believed our parents would be dependent on the government for their healthcare in their senior years.
Our parents would not have believed their children would witness the nationalization of the banking and automobile industries. Or the use of every aspect of the tax codes to redistribute wealth from producers to non-producers. Or the diminishing of quality of life for 'global climate change' that may or may not be happening, may or may not be our fault, may or may not be bad, and may or may not be reversible. Or the degredation of our strength and position in the world at perhaps its most dangerous time in history.
What of freedom will be left for our children?
We have enjoyed the nice warm bath of freedom and free enterprise most of our lives. For those that have not noticed yet THE WATER IS GETTING HOT!
Our great-grandparents would have wretched at the idea of entrusting the government with the education of our youth.
Our grandparents would never have believed our parents would be dependent on the government for their healthcare in their senior years.
Our parents would not have believed their children would witness the nationalization of the banking and automobile industries. Or the use of every aspect of the tax codes to redistribute wealth from producers to non-producers. Or the diminishing of quality of life for 'global climate change' that may or may not be happening, may or may not be our fault, may or may not be bad, and may or may not be reversible. Or the degredation of our strength and position in the world at perhaps its most dangerous time in history.
What of freedom will be left for our children?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Barrack Corleone?
As a case in point of my previous post, "Shock and Awe", here are 3 items that have hit the news cycle in just the last 24 hours.
1. Chrysler executives, in the midst of bankruptcy and facing the poor public relations that generally accompany it, decided to spend $134 million in advertising over the next 9 weeks. But the federal Auto Task Force, chaired by President Obama, (who incidentally has never run a business and held only one private sector job) concluded that was too much and will allow Chrysler to spend only $67 million. That's right, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is making executive decisions for a a major corporation in the private sector. Apparently only tax dollars are suitable for squander.
2. President Obama is personally speaking with the credit card industry and "urging" them to make specific changes that he has outlined to their practices. He wants them instituted by Memorial Day.
3. Administration officials have proposed controls and caps on salaries paid to banking industry officials. Even those that have not received any money from the government.
Obama must be making them "offers they can't refuse".
It reminds me of a famous poem that I have slightly revised here:
They first came for the schools,
I didn't speak up because it was convenient.
Then they came for the wealthy,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't wealthy.
Then they came for big corporations,
I didn't speak up because I wasn't an executive,
Then they came for the gun owners,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a gun owner.
Then they came for our religious heritage,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't religious.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
1. Chrysler executives, in the midst of bankruptcy and facing the poor public relations that generally accompany it, decided to spend $134 million in advertising over the next 9 weeks. But the federal Auto Task Force, chaired by President Obama, (who incidentally has never run a business and held only one private sector job) concluded that was too much and will allow Chrysler to spend only $67 million. That's right, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is making executive decisions for a a major corporation in the private sector. Apparently only tax dollars are suitable for squander.
2. President Obama is personally speaking with the credit card industry and "urging" them to make specific changes that he has outlined to their practices. He wants them instituted by Memorial Day.
3. Administration officials have proposed controls and caps on salaries paid to banking industry officials. Even those that have not received any money from the government.
Obama must be making them "offers they can't refuse".
It reminds me of a famous poem that I have slightly revised here:
They first came for the schools,
I didn't speak up because it was convenient.
Then they came for the wealthy,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't wealthy.
Then they came for big corporations,
I didn't speak up because I wasn't an executive,
Then they came for the gun owners,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a gun owner.
Then they came for our religious heritage,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't religious.
Then they came for me —
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Shock and Awe!
We were first introduced to the phrase "Shock and Awe" at the beginning of the war in Iraq. It described the strategy of our military forces. We would go in with such overwhelming power that the enemy would be stunned and unable to effectively respond. It would seem that Pres. Obama has adopted a similar strategy.
Last year Obama ran for the presidency presenting himself as a centrist. I always knew he is very liberal, perhaps even crossing the line into Socialist. My anticipation was that after the election he would gradually reveal his liberalism through his proposals.
I was not prepared for the onslaught we are witnessing. Obama has revealed as much of himself in just over 100 days in office as I thought would take him 3 years. Perhaps he is emboldened by the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate, and in the press. I think it may be his own "Shock and Awe" strategy.
Moderates and conservatives are finding it difficult to know where to engage. The ideas for tax hikes, government take-over of industry, weakened foreign policy, 'stimulus', bailouts, regulation, global warming, etc., are coming at us too fast and furious. Don't think that Janet Napolitano's warning that anyone to the right of Karl Marx is an "extremist" and potential domestic terrorist isn't part of this strategy. They are attempting to disarm the enemy. (That's us.) Many average citizens have simply surrendered, believing they can't make a difference. This explains why I've not been posting here. I withdrew into my shell.
I believe there is a time coming when it will have gone too far and the citizens will say "enough". I hope it will happen before it's too late to save our republic.
Last year Obama ran for the presidency presenting himself as a centrist. I always knew he is very liberal, perhaps even crossing the line into Socialist. My anticipation was that after the election he would gradually reveal his liberalism through his proposals.
I was not prepared for the onslaught we are witnessing. Obama has revealed as much of himself in just over 100 days in office as I thought would take him 3 years. Perhaps he is emboldened by the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate, and in the press. I think it may be his own "Shock and Awe" strategy.
Moderates and conservatives are finding it difficult to know where to engage. The ideas for tax hikes, government take-over of industry, weakened foreign policy, 'stimulus', bailouts, regulation, global warming, etc., are coming at us too fast and furious. Don't think that Janet Napolitano's warning that anyone to the right of Karl Marx is an "extremist" and potential domestic terrorist isn't part of this strategy. They are attempting to disarm the enemy. (That's us.) Many average citizens have simply surrendered, believing they can't make a difference. This explains why I've not been posting here. I withdrew into my shell.
I believe there is a time coming when it will have gone too far and the citizens will say "enough". I hope it will happen before it's too late to save our republic.
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