The Attack of the Republican Cannibals:

If I were the leader of the Democrat Party at this time, my strategy would be to just sit back and let the Republicans cannibalize themselves.  This strategy would save the party millions of dollars and the result would probably be the same.  It seems that the only thing Republicans can agree on these days is to disagree. 

Ted Cruz won election to the U.S. Senate by promising to repeal Obamacare and standing for smaller government.  Unfortunately, he finds himself in the minority in the Senate and even though the House of Representatives has voted 40 times since 2011 to repeal Obamacare  (1) Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not allowed it to come up for a full vote in the Senate.  Ted Cruz has never had the opportunity to make good on his promise to repeal Obamacare because it has never come up for him to vote on it. 

When the House voted to defund Obamacare as part of the continuing resolution, Ted Cruz saw it as an opportunity to finally vote for repeal, or in this instance defunding.  However, he is only one vote out of 100 in the Senate so he understood that he had to do something drastic to get everyone’s attention.  As any good leader, he was not about to let this opportunity go away and started a 21 hour filibuster speech on Tuesday September 24, 2013.  (2)  The purpose of his speech was to call for a no vote on cloture for the continuing resolution. 

The cloture rule was the brainchild of Woodrow Wilson.  He was frustrated at the inaction of the Senate due to a minority of senators being able to hold up voting on legislation by filibustering and preventing a vote.  The cloture rule halts debate when a two-thirds vote of senators vote to stop debate.  (3)  The rule has changed as the number of senators grew because of the addition of new states to where cloture now requires 60 votes out of the 100 senators. 

The reason Senator Cruz wanted a no vote on cloture in this instance was to prevent the addition of an amendment to the House appropriation bill that would strip the language defunding Obamacare and not allow any other amendments.  (4)  Unfortunately, the Senate reached cloture by a 79 to 19 vote on Friday September 27, 2013.   (5)  The Senate added the Reid amendment by a 54 to 44 vote (6) and the Senate passed a continuing resolution to fund the government including Obamacare (7) by a 54 to 44 vote.  All Republicans, except for two that did not vote, voted against the amendment and resolution.  54 Senators, all Democrats, voted for it.  In other words, there were 25 Republicans that voted for cloture, knowing they were approving the Reid amendment and resolution.  I guess these Senators wanted to be able to say in the next election that they voted for the resolution to fund the government before they voted against it. 

Since Ted Cruz’s filibuster speech, he has been vilified and now that his attempts to halt funding for Obamacare have failed, it will most likely get worse.  The sad fact is that most of the vilification of Ted Cruz is coming from fellow Republicans and not Democrats.  Ted Cruz now finds himself under attack from Republican cannibals. 

The Republican cannibal leader happens to be my Senator, John McCain.  I have to confess, I have voted for him for Senator several times and even voted for him for President, but in my defense I am usually not voting for his opponent.  On Friday after the Cruz Filibuster, McCain excoriated Senator Cruz for making the Republican Party dysfunctional.  I guess he toned it down a bit from when he called Senator Rand Paul a “wacko bird” after his 13-hour filibuster over the use of drones.  (8) 

McCain is the perfect example of the pot calling the kettle black.  If anyone makes the Republican Party dysfunctional or is a “wacko bird,” it is McCain.  McCain always campaigns as a conservative and in fact ran promising to end Obamacare if elected.  Now, just like Ted Cruz, when he finally has a chance in the Senate to do something substantive to end Obamacare, he moves over to the other side of the aisle and votes with the Democrats.  (5)  That is when it came to cloture, then he flip-flopped and voted with the Republicans when his vote was meaningless.  (6) (7)

The most cannibalistic thing McCain did this week was in his ripping of Cruz’s anti-Obamacare speech on the Senate floor.  In his speech McCain was responding to the following comment from Senator Cruz,   "If you go to the 1940s, Nazi Germany ….  Look, we saw in Britain, Neville Chamberlain, who told the British people, 'Accept the Nazis.  Yes, they'll dominate the continent of Europe but that's not our problem.  Let's appease them.  Why?  Because it can't be done.  We can't possibly stand against them.”  (9) 

McCain responded by saying, "I resoundingly reject that allegation …. That allegation, in my view, does a great disservice.  A great disservice to those brave Americans and those who stood up and said, 'what's happening in Europe cannot stand.”  (9)  McCain went on to remind Cruz that Obamacare was the “law of the land” and that the people showed their approval of the law by reelecting Obama.  (9)  The courts also upheld the law.  (10)  Therefore, in McCain’s opinion there is nothing left for us to do. 

Seriously, for the Supreme Court also upheld slavery, (11)  segregation, (12) and the internment of those of Japanese descent during World War II.  (13)  Are you saying Senator McCain that if you would have been in the Senate and had an opportunity to vote against slavery, segregation, or internment of U.S. citizens, you would have refused because they are the “law of the land” because the Supreme Court ruled in favor of these activities?

Just because something has become the law of the land does not mean it is good law and the law-making branch of our government, the legislature, can always repeal bad law or refuse to fund bad government programs.  This is precisely what the Congress is doing in this instance.  The people spoke and elected a majority to the House and ended the Democrat super majority in the Senate by electing people promising to do away with a bad law, Obamacare.  You Senator McCain are one of those people that were reelected to the Senate promising to end Obamacare.

However, when it comes to governing and fulfilling your promises, you side with those supporting this bad law.  If you were honest when you promised to do away with Obamacare, you would have stood with Senator Cruz this week instead of excoriating him on the floor of the Senate.  You seem to have forgotten the Republican 11^th commandment “Thou shalt not speak ill of any Republican."  (14)  Instead, you have become a Republican cannibal taking pleasure in eating one of your own that is only doing what the people of the State of Texas elected him to do. 

1. Terkel, Andrea. House GOP To Hold 40th Obamacare Repeal Vote. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, July 26, 2013. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/26/40th-obamacare-repeal-vote_n_3660999.html.

2. Cox, Ransey. Cruz launches floor protest against ObamaCare funding (Video). thehill.com. [Online] The Hill, September 24, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/324251-cruz-vows-to-speak-against-obamacare-until-hes-unable-to-stand.

3. United States Senate. Cloture Rule. www.senate.gov. [Online] March 8, 1917. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Cloture_Rule.htm.

4. Martin, Jenny Beth. SENATE REPUBLICANS CAN STOP REID FROM FUNDING OBAMACARE. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 23, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/23/Senate-fight-Reid.

5. United States Senate. Motion to Invoke Cloture on H.J. Res. 59. www.senate.gov. [Online] September 27, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00206.

6. —. Reid Amdt. No. 1974. www.senate.gov. [Online] September 27, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00208.

7. —. H.J.Res. 59 As Amended. www.senate.gov. [Online] September 27, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=113&session=1&vote=00209.

8. Flynn, Mike. MCCAIN DECRIES THE GOP CIVIL WAR HE STARTED. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 27, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/27/McCain-Decries-the-GOP-Civil-War-He-Started.

9. Lavender, Page. John McCain Rips Ted Cruz's Anti-Obamacare Speech, Criticizes Nazi Comparison (VIDEO). www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, September 25, 2013. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/john-mccain-ted-cruz_n_3989887.html.

10. Kenny, Jack. Supreme Court Sidesteps Commerce Clause, Cites Tax Power, Says ObamaCare Is Constitutional. www.thenewamerican.com. [Online] New American, June 28, 2012. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11897-supreme-court-sidesteps-commerce-clause-cites-tax-power-says-obamacare-is-constitutional.

11. Encyclopedia Britanica. Dred Scott decision. www.britannica.com. [Online] [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/171273/Dred-Scott-decision.

12. Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Separate but Equal: the Law of the Land. americanhistory.si.edu. [Online] [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/1-segregated/separate-but-equal.html.

13. Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education. The Supreme Court Internment Cases. korematsuinstitute.org. [Online] [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://korematsuinstitute.org/institute/aboutfred/internmentcases/.

14. Murse, Tom. 11th Commandment Definition: Informal Rule of Republican Party Politics. uspolitics.about.com. [Online] About.com. [Cited: September 27, 2013.] http://uspolitics.about.com/od/CampaignsElections/a/11th-Commandment-Definition.htm.

The Southern Wall Protecting Free Enterprise, Commerce and the Economy:

One of the worst things that can occur in a civil society is an economic collapse.  A year ago we got a glimpse of what occurs during an economic collapse in Spain and Greece.  (1)  The people in Spain feared losing their wealth and began withdrawing their money from banks fearing the seizure of their money by the government to cover a potential insolvency situation. 

Insolvency occurs in a nation when it is no longer able to meet its financial obligations.  This situation is not something that occurs overnight but is usually years in the making.  It usually occurs because of reckless irresponsible government recklessly spending and borrowing money with no thought as to how it will be paid back in the future.  If the situation is not reversed, an economic collapse can occur and society is in danger of collapse. 

The collapse of an economy and society occurs in five stages

1)      The Decay Begins – Things are going good but the idea that everyone is entitled to have what others have earned begins to permeate society.  Those that have succeeded are made to feel guilty for their success

2)      The Slippery Slope – The once thriving economy begins a steadily increasing decline.  Unemployment is on the rise and an ever-increasing number of people begin receiving some form of government assistance. 

3)      It is going to Get Worse – A total collapse of the economy begins and the government implements price controls.  Unemployment exceeds 25% and violence increases as people begin to panic.  This is the state Spain found itself in a year ago when there was a run on their banks.

4)      The Grab for Power – As the economy totally collapses the nation’s infrastructure is seriously neglected and unreliable.  The government issues restrictive measures in an attempt to control the economy through the implementation of rationing due to massive shortages.

5)      Freedom, Liberty, and Independence is Lost – After all has failed, the government implements martial law and freedom, liberty, and independence are lost.  (2)

This may seem like an extreme scenario and many of you may believe this could not occur in the United States or America.  However, our country consists of people just like any other nation and as the economy begins to crumble around them, the people in the United States could, out of desperation, begin this slide into total collapse but there is still time to turn things around. 

At this point I believe we are beginning stage two, the slippery slope.  Despite what this administration tells us, our economy is not in a recovery.  Men are still 2.1 million jobs short of pre-recession levels (3)  and women are not fairing any better.  Minorities, the people this administration promised to help the most, are the hardest hit by this economy with black unemployment hitting 13%.  (4)  In August 63,000 Hispanics gave up looking for work.  (5)  These are hardly the signs of an economy in recovery as the administration would want us to believe. 

As the economy continues to stagnate and fall, more and more individuals move onto some form of government program just to survive.  Under this administration people on disability has increased 13% while food stamp enrollments have increased 39%.  (6)  Of course the administration cites the decrease in the percentage of people on unemployment but they quote the U3 number, which does not take into account those that have given up looking for work.  There were a record number of people not in the labor force at the end of August (90,473,000 to be exact).  This number has increased almost 10 million under Obama.  (7)  We would expect the U3 unemployment rate to decrease with this number of people giving up looking for work for if everyone were to give up looking for work, the U3 number would be zero.  The U6 unemployment rate, which counts those that have given up looking for work, currently stands at 13.7 % and has steadily remained between 14.6% and 13.6% for all of 2013.  (8)

These large numbers of people giving up on participating in the labor force and going on some form of government subsistence are precisely why we have a burgeoning debt and continued deficits.  As of September 25, the national debt is $16,740,664,750,174.77 or $52,856.88 per person in the United States.  (9)  This includes our children and grandchildren who are not even old enough yet to vote.  As our government continues to function without the constraints of a budget  (10)  there is nothing to stop them from running deficits year after year which will only increase the debt as the government continues to borrow to make up for shortfalls. 

However, there is still hope as I believe we are just beginning down the slippery slope and have time to end this slide.  This presents an excellent opportunity for the Republican Party and Conservatives to return to the landslide victories they enjoyed in the 1980’s.  I believe that many of the people that have given up looking for work would like to return to the workforce but have not been able to find a good paying job because businesses in this country are handcuffed by high taxes (The United States has the highest corporate income tax rate in the world).  (11)  Our corporations are also handcuffed by onerous regulations that are slated to increase massively with the full implementation of Obamacare.  Is it any wonder our companies are outsourcing to other countries where the economic environment is friendlier. 

The Republican Party has a reputation throughout its history of being pro-business but in recent years has shied away from that because the media portrays business as evil.  I say heck with what the media says.  We have millions of people in this country that have given up because of the lack of opportunity for them to find good paying jobs.  Let the media say Republicans are evil for being pro-business for the people that will be able to return to the workforce because business is thriving once again in our country will be overjoyed. 

The hard working people of this nation and not the government are what make our economy great.  It’s time we unleashed these hard working people and let them do what they do best, working hard in pursuit of their dreams and becoming self-sufficient once again.  The only thing holding them back is our intrusive government and its time for the government to liberate these hard working people by getting out of their way. 

1. Huff, Ethan A. Panic cash withdrawals in Spain drain banks; Greece-style economic implosion now imminent. www.naturalnews.com. [Online] NaturalNews, September 24, 2012. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.naturalnews.com/037298_spain_bank_runs_economic_collapse.html#ixzz27o53hac2.

2. Meyer, David. Society's Five Stages of Economic Collapse. www.lewrocksell.com. [Online] March 3, 2012. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.lewrockwell.com/2012/03/david-franke/societys-five-stages-of-economiccollapse/.

3. Hall, Wynton. MEN STILL 2.1 MILLION JOBS SHORT OF PRE-RECESSION LEVELS. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 13, 2013. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/13/Men-Still-2-1-Million-Jobs-Short-Of-Pre-Recession-Levels.

4. Nolte, John. BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT LEAPS TO 13%. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/06/Black-unemployment-leaps-to13-percent.

5. Lee, Tony. 63,000 HISPANICS GAVE UP LOOKING FOR WORK DURING LA RAZA 'MONTH OF ACTION'. www.breitbart..com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/06/La-Raza-Had-Month-of-Action-for-Immigration-Reform-as-63K-Hispanic-Workers-Gave-Up-Looking-for-Work-in-August.

6. Hall, Wynton. FOOD STAMPS UP 39% UNDER OBAMA, DISABILITY UP 13%. FOOD STAMPS UP 39% UNDER OBAMA, DISABILITY UP 13%. [Online] Breitbart News, June 6, 2013. [Cited: July 16, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/06/Food-Stamps-Up-39-Under-Obama-Disability-Up-13.

7. Jeffrey, Terence P. 90,473,000: Record Number Not in Labor Force--Up Almost 10M Under Obama. www.cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/90473000-record-number-not-labor-force-almost-10m-under-obama.

8. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization. www.bls.gov. [Online] September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t15.htm.

9. brillig.com. U.S. National Debt Clock. www.brillig.com. [Online] September 25, 2013. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/.

10. Bremmer, Paul. PBS: ‘Congress Hasn’t Passed a Budget in Years,’ Fails to Call Out Democratic Senate. newsbusters.org. [Online] News Busters, March 22, 2013. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://newsbusters.org/blogs/paul-bremmer/2013/03/22/pbs-congress-hasn-t-passed-budget-years-fails-call-out-democratic-sena.

11. Lance, Leonard. Leonard Lance claims U.S. has highest corporate tax rate in world. www.politifact.com. [Online] The Star Ledger. [Cited: September 24, 2013.] http://www.politifact.com/new-jersey/statements/2013/apr/25/leonard-lance/leonard-lance-claims-us-has-highest-corporate-tax-/.

Off to a Good Start

The defunding of Obamacare is off to a good start with the vote in the House of Representatives to pass a stopgap-funding bill without funding Obamacare.  (1)  This is a good start but there are some major obstacles ahead so now is not the time Political Avengers to relax.  However, just as we were able to convince the RINO leadership in the House to proceed with this vote, it is also possible for us to convince RINO’s and even Democrat Senators to vote for defunding.

In 2008, conservatives were depressed when the election results showed the election of Obama, increased Democrat control in the House, and a super majority of Democrats in the Senate.  Democrats quickly took advantage of these majorities and passed The Affordable Care Act (aka the unaffordable care act or Obamacare).  If the founders of our country had been alive to see the passage of this bill, they would have considered it an act or treason against their desire to have a country promoting the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

The good news is that since the 2008 election, Republicans have achieved a majority in the House and taken away the super majority in the Senate.  Unfortunately, Obama won reelection in 2012 but the Democrats that won election to the Senate in 2008 are all up for reelection in 2014.  This means there are a large number of democrat seats up for grabs and a good possibility Republicans could gain a majority in the Senate. 

The main reason conservatives were able to convince members of the House to vote for defunding Obamacare was that they are all up for reelection in 2014 and feared losing their jobs.  The same now holds true for those Senators up for reelection in 2014.  I believe we have an opportunity to convince enough RINO and Democrat senators to vote for defunding Obamacare by passing a stopgap-spending bill in the Senate that fund the government without funding Obamacare.  At that point, the ball is in the President’s court and he will have to decide to veto the bill and shut the government down on October 1 or sign the legislation and keep the government open minus the implementation of Obamacare. 

When calling your Senator be sure to remind them that the implementation of this law will cause many to either lose their jobs or see their hours cut.  (2)  The law also will cause premiums to skyrocket and cause many doctors to retire causing a shortage of doctors.  (3)  Even if your doctor continues to work, you may not be able to see him or her if you are forced to change insurance plans to one not honored by your current doctor.  (4)  Let them know that when Congress was debating the bill in the House, speaker Nancy Pelosi told us that we had to pass the bill in order to find out what was in it.  Well, the bill passed and we have discovered what is in it and a vast majority of voters in the nation does not want it.  In fact, a NBC Wall Street Journal poll revealed that only 12% of Americans believe Obamacare will have a positive impact on their lives.  This leaves 88% that either see the bill having a negative impact on their lives or no impact at all.  (5)   Remind them that you have the power of your vote and that you can give it to them if they do the right thing or give it to someone else that will. 

Between now and October 1, the battle will be in the Senate and White House.  As conservatives, we can expect to be called every evil name the liberals and Obama Zombies can come up with.  Personally, I do not care what they call me for my interest is my country and the fact that if Obamacare achieves full implementation, it will bankrupt this great nation.  Join me in making sure this does not happen. 

In the upper right section of this blog, I have provided a link to finding your senator.  I urge everyone this week to contact your senator and let him or her know why he or she must vote to defund Obamacare.  This is especially true for those of you living in a state with a senator up for election in 2014. 

1. Dinan, Stephen. House passes spending bill to defund Obamacare. m.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, September 20, 2013. [Cited: September 20, 2013.] http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/20/house-passes-spending-bill-defund-obamacare/.

2. III, Bret Bozell. THE CASE FOR DEFUNDING OBAMACARE. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 7, 2013. [Cited: September 20, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/07/The-Case-for-Defunding-Obamacare.

3. Pipes, Sally. Thanks To Obamacare, A 20,000 Doctor Shortage Is Set To Quintuple. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, June 10, 2013. [Cited: September 20, 2013.] http://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2013/06/10/thanks-to-obamacare-a-20000-doctor-shortage-is-set-to-quintuple/.

4. Bier, Jeryl. HHS Admits: You Might Not Be Able to Keep Your Doctor Under Obamacare. www.weeklystandard.com. [Online] The Weekly Standard, July 19, 2013. [Cited: August 2, 2013.] http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/hhs-admits-you-might-not-be-able-keep-your-doctor-under-obamacare_740093.html.

5. News, Breitbart. POLL: 12% SAY OBAMACARE WILL HAVE POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR FAMILY. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 16, 2013. [Cited: September 20, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/16/uninsured-obamacare.

The Eastern Wall: Protecting the Right to Pursue Happiness

In the Declaration of Independence, the founders expressed their belief that every person had the God given inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (1).  In this posting I will be looking at what the Republican Party can do to protect the right to the pursuit of happiness.  However, let us first define what is meant by the pursuit of happiness. 

First, the authors of the Declaration of Independence did not believe we had the right to be happy but that we had the right to pursue happiness.  This may seem like a small issue but I believe it is actually a great difference and in this difference, we can find the reason for the division in our country’s politics today. 

When a liberal of statist in our country feels unhappy, they look to the government for some program that will restore their happiness.  For example, these liberal statists see that over 57.5 million people were without medical insurance for part or all of 2012 (2) and pass a massive piece of legislation, Obamacare, to “solve” the problem.  The legislation is so massive that they do not even read it and tell us that after they pass it, we will discover what is in it.  Well, now we have had time to read it and guess what, even after full implementation of Obamacare 30 million individuals will remain uninsured.  (3) 

In addition, people are now learning that their employers will be cutting their hours from 40 hours per week to less than 30 hours in order to be exempt from the requirement to provide health insurance.  (4)  Hard working people, working to pursue economic happiness in their lives, find themselves denied that right because of a piece of legislation designed to make liberal statists feel happy because they have provided health insurance for all the uninsured except for the 30 million the legislation missed. 

Then we have the radical environmentalists that believe they have a right to happiness, which to them is saving the planet.  They have concocted the theory of global warming and have convinced many, including many politicians, that we are destroying the planet.  They continue to spew their rhetoric in spite of the fact that scientists now claim that global warming is only about a quarter of what they thought it was.  (5) If that was not bad enough, artic ice grew 60% in the last year.  (6)  I wonder how happy this makes these environmentalists.

Unfortunately, the environmentalists attempts to find happiness through saving the planet is hindering the pursuit of happiness for everyone else.  Their refusal to allow drilling, especially fracking, is causing us to pay an exorbitant price at the pump.  In January 2009 at the inauguration of President Obama, the average price of regular gas was $1.84 per gallon.  (7)  The average price as of September 16, 2013 is $3.52 per gallon or almost double and the price has set a record by being above $3 per gallon for 1000 days (8)  

This inability to access the abundant supply of crude oil right under our feet means we are dependent on foreign oil, most of which comes from the Middle East.  In other words, the price of gas at the pump is dependent on some Middle Eastern leader that most likely does not like us.  These high gas prices mean Americans have less money to spend on vacations or products that make them happy.  Business owners have less money to invest in growing their businesses and creating jobs that will make more individuals happy. 

Then we have political ambulance chasers that derive their happiness by taking advantage of tragedies like the shooting at the DC Naval base to further their agenda of taking away the second amendment rights of individuals in our country to bear arms.  Even while law enforcement was conducting their investigation and the bodies were still at the site, President Obama said, “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital,….  Obviously, we’re going to be investigating thoroughly what happened, as we do so many of these shootings, sadly, that have happened, and do everything that we can to prevent them.”  Senator Diane Feinstein took Obamas promise to do everything we can to prevent gun violence as a green light to once again attempt to push strict gun control legislation through the Senate.  (9) 

Once again the happiness gun control advocates derive from taking advantage of tragic shootings to push their pet political agenda of gun control is depriving gun owners of the happiness they derive from owning a gun.  These gun owners are not brutal killers and own guns for sport and to gain a sense of security.  It would have been nice if the first victim of this shooting would have been able to draw a gun him or herself and take out this brutal killer before he could hurt anyone.  Unfortunately, this military base is a gun free zone and the killer was not taken out until law enforcement arrived.  By then the damage had already been done and the families of the victims had their right to the pursuit of happiness and their loved one taken away by a brutal killer and government policy prohibiting trained military personnel from carrying firearms on a domestic military base. 

Our founders favored a small nonintrusive government that would provide a secure environment for people to pursue happiness.  This does not include forcing people to purchase a product like health insurance that they may not want or need and seeing their incomes drop as their hours are reduced.  It does not include restricting the use or our own resources and placing our nation’s economic stability at the mercy of people in a foreign country that may not like us and forcing Americans to pay an exorbitant price at the pump.  It also does not include placing Americans, including military personnel, at risk by not allowing them to carry a firearm to protect them. 

The Republican Party must adopt a platform that delivers smaller less intrusive government.  The leadership of the Party must allow the people in the Party to elect people to office that are not interested in trying to get along with Democrats but are interested in following through on their promise to shrink government’s intrusion into the lives of citizens.  Failure to do this will result in further losses by the Party and even the possibility of the emergence of a viable third party that will replace them, making the Republican Party a third party. 

Wake up GOP leadership.  This is not a game for the future of The United States of America is at stake. 

1. Hillsdale College. The Declaration of Independance. The U.S. Constitution: A reader. Hillsdale Michigan : Hillsdale College Press, 2012.

2. Young, Jeffery. Uninsured Americans 2012: More Than 45 Million Lacked Health Insurance Last Year, CDC Reports. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, March 21, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/uninsured-americans-2012_n_2918705.html.

3. Kilff, Sarah. Obamacare leaves millions uninsured. Here’s who they are. www.washingtonpost.com. [Online] The Washington Post, June 7, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/06/07/obamacare-leaves-millions-uninsured-heres-who-they-are/.

4. Houston, Warner Todd. AFL-CIO PRESIDENT TRUMKA ADMITS OBAMACARE MAKING EMPLOYERS CUT HOURS. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 5, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/04/AFL-CIO-Prez-Trumka-Admits-That-Obamacare-is-Causing-Employers-to-Cut-Hours.

5. Rose, David. World's top climate scientists confess: Global warming is just QUARTER what we thought - and computers got the effects of greenhouse gases wrong . www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] The Daily Mail, September 14, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2420783/Global-warming-just-HALF-said-Worlds-climate-scientists-admit-computers-got-effects-greenhouse-gases-wrong.html.

6. —. And now it's global COOLING! Record return of Arctic ice cap as it grows by 60% in a year. www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] The Daily Mail, September 7, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2415191/Global-cooling-Arctic-ice-caps-grows-60-global-warming-predictions.html.

7. Consumer Reports. Average gas prices--January 26, 2009. www.consumerreports.org. [Online] Consumer Reports, January 26, 2009. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2009/01/average-gas-prices-january-26-2009/index.htm.

8. Strauss, Chris Woodyard and Gary. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2009/01/average-gas-prices-january-26-2009/index.htm. www.usatoday.com. [Online] USA Today, September 16, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/09/16/gas-prices-thousand-days/2821351/.

9. Wolfgang, Ben. Obama, Feinstein reignite fight for gun control after Navy Yard shooting. m.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, September 16, 2013. [Cited: September 17, 2013.] http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/16/navy-yard-shooting-revives-gun-control-fight/.

If an Alien Visitor Landed in Our Country This Week, What Would He Say.

I am a science fiction fan and especially love the old science fiction movies.  One of my favorites is The Day the Earth Stood Still.  In case you have not seen the movie, it is about an alien spacecraft that lands in Washington DC.  The alien wants to speak with our nation’s leaders to warn them about what would happen if they continued with their current path.  If an alien had landed in Washington DC this week, imagine what they might have seen.

On September 10, they would have seen a large group of people that had traveled to DC from all over the country to petition their leaders to defund Obamacare.  The logical response of our visitor would be to ask someone what Obamacare is.  When our visitor did this, he would have been told it is a government takeover of the countries health care.  The alien might have at first thought that was not so bad until he discovered how much the program would cost, that the country was already heavily in debt, and that this program would cause the debt to grow as the government took on the responsibility for every citizen's health care.  Our alien visitor might have asked himself, do these people even know basic math?

Then on the next day, he would have witnessed a group of Muslims and bikers coming into the city.  Once again, our alien visitor would have asked them what they were doing in the city.  When he asked the bikers, he would have been told they were there to honor the people that died 12 years ago in a vicious attack on the country that caused the death of 3000 people.  The next logical question the visitor might have asked is who perpetrated the attack at which point the bikers would have told him it was a group of radical Muslims.

The visitor then would have gone over to the other group and asked what they were doing there.   Once the visitor determined that these people were Muslims, he might have surmised that these people will be easy to conquer because instead of standing up against their enemies, they allow them to protest on the 12-year anniversary of an attack, perpetrated by Muslims, on the country. 

Our visitor might have then asked to meet with our leader at which point he would have been introduced to President Obama.  Of course, the visitor would have soon discovered that Obama was busy with a situation in Syria and probably worried about missing his tee time.  Obama would have told the visitor that the leader of Syria used poison gas and killed some of his own people.  When the visitor inquired as to why a leader would do that, he would have discovered that there is currently a civil war going on in Syria. 

The next question might have been why is a civil war in another country thousands of miles away of interest to your country to which he would have been told that some of the victims were children and we were appalled at the brutality of the attack.  The visitor might have agreed until he discovered that the rebels attempting to overthrow the current Syrian government are part of the same group that had attacked our nation 12 years earlier, resulting in the murder of 300 people.

 If our alien visitor were to address our leaders he might tell them what happened on his world.  The visitor might say that on his world the people were once industrious but became lazy as opportunistic politicians took advantage of them by promising them they would provide everything for them only to run out of others people’s money to redistribute.  The result was total anarchy and a breakdown of civil society.  If only the leaders of the visitor’s world had established a budget and learned to live within it, they might not have run out of money.  Of course this would have required teaching individuals to become self-sufficient which would have resulted in the government not being able to control them.  Of course the government’s belief that they had control of the people was actually a myth for once the government could no longer provide all of people’s needs, society collapsed. 

The visitor might go on to tell how their enemies defeated his world because their leaders believed they could be the universe’s police force.  This led to them becoming involved in three wars and spreading their military so thin that their enemies could easily come in and take over their world.  He would caution our leaders that their primary concern is the safety of their own citizens and not involvement in wars with enemies that do not represent a viable threat to the citizens of the country. 

Our leaders have created a situation where 90,473,000 have totally given up looking for work and instead are reliant on the government to provide for their needs.  (1)  (2)  If we fail to reverse this trend and do not have a growing economy producing jobs for people, we will eventually run out of other people’s money to redistribute and face the prospect of a breakdown in our civil society. 

Our leaders must realize that we have enemies that want to kill us.  After the attack of 9/11 many were asking why they hate us.  The answer to that question is easy.  Radical Islamists hate anyone who is not Muslim and feel justified in murdering them, even if that involves killing themselves as the murders on 9/11 did.  The only way to have them like us is for everyone to convert to Islam, something that Christians, Jews, and even Atheists in our nation will never do.  There is credible evidence that Al Qaida supports the rebels in Syria and to assist them in defeating the Assad Regime in Syria might give them access to Syria’s chemical weapons, which could end up being used on us in a future 9/11 type attack.  (3) 

Unfortunately, there is no alien visitor to tell us what will happen if we continue on our present path so we must change course on our own.  That is why those of us that understand the dangers of the path on which our country is on need to vote for leaders that will change the direction of the country.  However, this is not enough, as we learned from the last election.  We therefore must take it upon ourselves to fill the role of the alien visitor and educate our friends, neighbors, and family what could occur if we fail to change the direction of the nation.   

Please join me Political Avengers in beginning this educational process. 

1. Jeffrey, Terence P. 90,473,000: Record Number Not in Labor Force--Up Almost 10M Under Obama. www.cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/90473000-record-number-not-labor-force-almost-10m-under-obama.

2. —. 8,803,335: Another New Record for Disability—Up 975 Per Day Under Obama. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, October 25, 2012. [Cited: October 27, 2012.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/8803335-another-new-record-disability-975-day-under-obama.

3. Flynn, Mike. SENATE MAY VOTE TO FIGHT WITH AL-QAEDA ON 9/11. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 13, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/09/06/Senate-May-Vote-to-Fight-With-Al-Qaeda-on-911.

The Northern Wall: Protecting Our Liberty

Yesterday on September 10, 2013, the exempt America Rally occurred.  The purpose of this rally was to encourage leaders in Congress to defund Obamacare as part of the continuing resolution.  Since I am writing this on the 10^th, I do not have any attendance figures but for everyone attending the rally, there are hundreds, possibly even thousands, of who did not attend because they either could not afford it or had to work but we are there in spirit. 

Today is also the anniversary of the attack on our nation 12 years ago.  12 years ago a group of radical Islamists attacked our nation taking the right to life away from 3000 innocent Americans and attempted to steal the liberty of the rest of the nation.  Our President responded to these radicals with force and their attempt to steal our liberty failed.  However, since 1913, liberal progressives have been incrementally doing what these radical Islamists could not do with their terrorist attacks.  For the Republican Party to become strong once again, they need to become the party dedicated to the restoration of the eroding liberties of the nation. 

After winning independence from England, our founders began the process of forming this nation.  Their greatest concern was that they place safeguards in place, protecting the citizens from going from one tyrannical government to another.  This is why our Constitution divides our government into three branches that each having the ability to check and hold in balance the other branches.  Even though there is no specific declaration of this separation in the Constitution, the Constitution implies it in the structure of the government.  The Constitution gives legislative power to the bicameral Congress, executive power goes to the President, and judicial power goes to the Supreme Court and the lower courts, which Congress establishes through legislation.  (1)

The founders believed that the separation of powers prevented the concentration of power, which they believed to be the root of tyranny.  (1)  However, after ratification of the Constitution, amendments were offered to place limits on what the newly formed Federal government could do.  We now call these amendments the Bill of Rights. 

Federalists were initially against adding a bill of rights to the constitution believing that it would imply that government had the authority to restrict speech, the practice of religion etc. that could only be stopped by the addition of a bill of rights.  However, Madison, once in opposition to a bill of rights changed his mind.  Part of the reason for his change of mind was a belief that the people were ultimately responsible for protecting their rights and viewed the addition of the first ten amendments to the constitution as a way of informing the public of their rights.  (2) 

Perhaps Madison was correct though in his original thinking that the addition of a bill of rights would make government think it had powers not specifically prohibited in the Constitution or bill of rights.  This was evident when Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia believed a law requiring everyone to carry a national ID card was constitutional since it was not specifically prohibited in the Bill of Rights.  (3) 

When we look at the language used in the Bill of Rights it represents a list of things the government is prohibited from doing (i.e. restricting speech, religion, the press, the right to bear arms, etc.) and does not empower government in any way.  (4)  For Justice Scalia to imply that the absence of specific language in the Bill of Rights prohibiting a national ID card as a carte blanche for the government to require citizens to carry one is an example of how liberal progressives read things into the Constitution that are not there and in so doing, limit our liberties. 

Unhappy with the limitations placed on the government by the Bill of Rights, FDR proposed a second Bill of Rights.  He proposed:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the Nation;
The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;
The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;
The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;
The right of every family to a decent home;
The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;
The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;
The right to a good education.  (5)

This second Bill of Rights differs from the original Bill of Rights in that it specifically spells out items FDR believed the government was empowered and had a duty to provide for each citizen.  Even though FDR did not live long enough to implement his plan, liberal progressives have incrementally implemented much of his plan. 

If we could impeach a President for plagiarism, Obama could be impeached over his use of FDR’s Second Bill of Rights in his 2013 State of the Union Address.  If FDR were alive today and saw what our government is doing with Obamacare, he would no doubt believe the government had finally developed a program to provide medical care and good health for each citizen. 

However, nothing is free and Obamacare comes at the cost of many of our liberties.  The Commerce Clause of the Constitution affirms the right of the government to regulate commerce but does not allow it to force citizens to partake in commerce.  (6)  By upholding the Individual Mandate, the Supreme Court in essence empowered the government to require citizens to engage in commerce (i.e. purchasing health insurance).  (7)  What next, is the government going to tell us what kind of car to drive, what to eat, or where to live.  

In addition to the violation of individual liberties by requiring citizens to purchase health insurance, the Supreme Court decision also violates the right of citizens to freely practice their religion.  This is because the law also requires religious hospitals, charities, and schools to provide health insurance that covers birth control and abortion inducing drugs, in violation of their faiths.  (8)

These attacks on individual liberty present a golden opportunity for the Republican Party to become the party of liberty.  Unfortunately, moderates in the party appear to want bigger government as well with the only difference being in that they want to grow the government at a slower pace.  To become strong once again, the Republican Party must dedicate itself to the founder’s desire for a country dedicated to preserving individual liberty.  This means letting go of the power of big government and empowering their constituents by shrinking the size and scope of government its intrusion into the lives of citizens. 

I believe this is a winning path for it empowers the citizens of the nation to pursue their dreams and goals which are what built this great nation. 

1. UMKC. Separation of Powers. law2.umkc.edu. [Online] [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/separationofpowers.htm.

2. Ph.D, Joseph Postell. Securing Liberty: The Purpose and Importance of the Bill of Rights. www.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, December 14, 2007. [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2007/12/securing-liberty-the-purpose-and-importance-of-the-bill-of-rights.

3. OnPower.org. The Constitution and Bill of Rights. www.onpower.org. [Online] [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://www.onpower.org/crises_constitution.html.

4. Hillsdale College. The Constitution of the United States of America. [book auth.] Hillsdale College. The U.S. Constitution: A Reader. Hillsdale MI : Hillsdale College Press, 2012.

5. Roosevelt Institute. FDR’s Second Bill of Rights: ‘Necessitous Men are not Free Men’. www.rooseveltinstitute.org. [Online] Roosevelt Institute. [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://www.rooseveltinstitute.org/new-roosevelt/fdr-s-second-bill-rights-necessitous-men-are-not-free-men.

6. Szydlowdki, Julie. Guest column: ObamaCare an attack on individual liberty. www.soourcenewspapers.com. [Online] Advisor & Source Newspapers, April 3, 2012. [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://www.sourcenewspapers.com/articles/2012/04/03/opinion/doc4f761b1a2f2fa560338313.txt.

7. Kenny, Jack. Supreme Court Sidesteps Commerce Clause, Cites Tax Power, Says ObamaCare Is Constitutional. www.thenewamerican.com. [Online] New American, June 28, 2012. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11897-supreme-court-sidesteps-commerce-clause-cites-tax-power-says-obamacare-is-constitutional.

8. Addington, David S. Blunt the Attacks on Religious Liberty: Repeal Obamacare. blog.heritage.org. [Online] The Heritage Foundation, February 29, 2012. [Cited: September 10, 2013.] http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/29/blunt-the-attacks-on-religious-liberty-repeal-obamacare/.

We Must Keep Our Eye on the Ball

Michigan State University recently placed a professor on paid leave, aka a paid vacation, for comments he made about Republicans.  (1)   In his comments, he said that if someone were to attend the Republican Convention, they would see a bunch of old white people who are shedding skin cells.  Okay, so I am a skin cell shedding Republican but I would rather shed skin cells than have a mind so open it shed brain cells.  As a Republican, I am concerned about the direction of my party and the country.  I urge the Republican leadership not to become sidetracked by issues like Syria but to keep its eye on the ball.

I love baseball and admire a major league hitter that is able to hit a 90 MPH fastball or breaking ball.  In order to hit a pitch like this is it important for the hitter to ignore the pitchers wind-up and focus on the ball.  In an effort to take the batters eye off the ball, the pitcher has a unique windup and attempts to hide the ball until just before throwing it.  In order to hit the ball, the batter must learn to ignore the distractions of the pitcher and keep his eye on the ball.    

Congress and the Senate are scheduled to come back into session this week and as usual there are a several vital issues on the table.  Syria has dominated this week’s news but we also face issue of the continuing resolution, which includes an opportunity to defund portions of Obamacare.  We also face the issue of comprehensive immigration reform and border security. 

I believe Syria is a distraction initiated by Obama in an attempt to distract the Senate and House from the liberals desire to increase their spending and grant amnesty to illegal aliens.  In an effort to keep our illustrious Republican leadership’s eye on the ball, there is a major rally scheduled for Tuesday September 10, 2013 in Washington DC.  (2)  I hope there are thousands and maybe even a million people there so we can get the message out loud and clear.  We want you to cut your wasteful spending.  We want our borders secured before any talk of amnesty or a path to citizenship.  Last, but not least, we do not want Obamacare and want you to defund it until we have a Senate and House that will vote for full repeal along with a President that will sign the repeal legislation. 

If the Government shuts down it will not be the fault of the Republicans in the House who will have voted to fund every aspect of the government except Obamacare.  Any government shutdown will be due to an arrogant President and Senate who cannot see the failure Obamacare will be. 

When Congress passed Obamacare speaker Nancy Pelosi said we had to pass it to see what was in it.  You passed it, we have seen what is in it, and we do not like it.  Speaker Boehner, you have an opportunity to undo what your predecessor did, not by voting for repeal which is DOA in the Senate, but by defunding it and stopping its implementation. 

Now let us move on to the August jobs numbers that came out on Friday.  Even though the numbers showed the addition of an estimated 169,000, there was also a plunge in the number of people working or looking for work to its lowest level since 1978.  (3)  There are now 90,473,000 people either not working or looking for work.  (4)  Hardest hit are Blacks who now have an unemployment rate of 13%.  (5)  In addition, 63,000 Hispanics have also given up looking for work during the La Raza Month of Action.  (6)  In other words, the loss of jobs in the Obama economy is wide spread. 

These dismal job numbers are the prime reason for defunding Obamacare.  As more employers look at the benefit to them of cutting employee hours to less than 30 hours or even laying people off to go under the 50 employee threshold, the job numbers will not be improving but getting worse.  Once again, I urge the Republican Leadership to keep their eye on the ball and do the right thing for we the American People instead of worrying about what the media will think about them if there is a government shutdown. 

Now a final word to the Michigan State Professor about Republicans.  There may be people in the Republican Party who are Senior Citizens but I encourage you to watch coverage of the September 10 rally.  Understand you may have to tune into Fox but you will survive.  Look over the crowd.  You will see people of all races and ages.  You may even see children that normally are not welcome to some liberal rallies. 

The Republican Party is a party that welcomes people interested in a smaller government focused on protecting each individual’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It is the party where people go to who want a government that will keep them secure, protect their liberty to pursue their dreams and goals as long as they do not deprive someone else of theirs.  Since you are on paid leave, I believe this would be a constructive use of your time. 

What has made this country great is not the government but the entrepreneurial spirit and that spirit has not died.  On September 5, 2013, Virgin Galactic completed the second flight of their Spaceship Two.  (7)  Spaceship Two is the dream of Richard Branson, a business entrepreneur whose dream is to take civilians into the fringes of space.  It is people like Mr. Branson, and not the government, who create jobs and opportunities in our economy.  I wish Mr. Branson success in his endeavors.     

1. Huston, Warner Todd. GOP-BASHING MSU PROFESSOR BARRED FROM CLASSROOM ONE SEMESTER–WITH PAY. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/05/Republican-Hating-Mich-State-Prof-Suspended-Sort-Of-With-Pay.

2. Breitbart News. CONSERVATIVES RALLYING TO EXEMPT AMERICA. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/05/Conservatives-Rallying-To-Exempt-America.

3. Rampell, Catherine. Weak Jobs Report Adds to Uncertainty on Fed’s Move. mobile.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/09/07/business/economy/us-economy-adds-169000-jobs-as-unemployment-rate-falls.html?hp=&_r=0&.

4. Jeffrey, Terence P. 90,473,000: Record Number Not in Labor Force--Up Almost 10M Under Obama. www.cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/90473000-record-number-not-labor-force-almost-10m-under-obama.

5. Nolte, John. BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT LEAPS TO 13%. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/06/Black-unemployment-leaps-to13-percent.

6. Lee, Tony. 63,000 HISPANICS GAVE UP LOOKING FOR WORK DURING LA RAZA 'MONTH OF ACTION'. www.breitbart..com. [Online] Breitbart News, September 6, 2013. [Cited: September 6, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/06/La-Raza-Had-Month-of-Action-for-Immigration-Reform-as-63K-Hispanic-Workers-Gave-Up-Looking-for-Work-in-August.

7. Knapp, Alex. An Engine's Eye View Of Virgin Galactic Spaceship Flight. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, September 7, 2013. [Cited: September 7, 2013.] http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2013/09/07/an-engines-eye-view-of-virgin-galactic-spaceship-flight/.

The Western Wall: Protecting the Right to Life

Last Wednesday we established a solid foundation upon which to build a strong Republican Party.  This week and in each of the next four weeks we will begin erecting the building of the Republican Party.  We will begin with the western wall, the wall protecting the citizens’ right to life. 

As we established earlier, the right to life involves protecting citizens of the nation from enemies outside and inside the nation.  The Federal Government is responsible for protecting our nation from enemies outside the nation.  Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution authorizes Congress to levy taxes to fund the defense of the nation.  (1)  Article 2 Section 2 of the Constitution makes the President the Commander in Chief of the Army, Navy, and state militias when they are called up into the service of the Federal government.  (1) The judicial branch has no role when it comes to the military. 

These clauses were included in the constitution in order to protect the citizens’ right to life.  By having a strong military and strong local law enforcement, the citizens of the nation have a sense of security, which frees them up to pursue their own pursuits.  When the citizenry of the nation feels insecure as to their lives, they do not focus on their pursuits but on survival.  A nation focused on survival is not advancing but regressing. 

The current leadership of our country has been derelict in its duty of protecting the citizens’ right to life.  Because of out of control deficits the Congress and President agreed to a series of mandatory budget cuts known as sequestration.  (2)  The Department of Defense is hardest hit with 800,000 civilian employees facing possible unpaid leave.  According to Defense Secretary Panetta, these cuts “will result in a serious erosion of readiness across the force.”  (2) 

Perhaps the reality of the scope of these cuts became evident recently when the Pentagon claimed it does not have the money to fund an attack on Syria.  (3)  By making this statement, the Pentagon has told our nations enemies that it lacks funding to properly defend the country.  In other words, the country is ill prepared to protect the right to life of its citizens. 

On the local front, we have constant gang shootings in Chicago and other big cities in our nation.  However, instead of going after the perpetrators of these crimes, our Federal Government continues to focus on violating the second amendment right to bear arms.  However, this strategy does not make people safer for in cities where people can carry weapons, there is less violent crime not more.  (4)  In order for the citizens of our nation to feel secure in their lives, they must know that law enforcement will hunt down, arrest, and prosecute violent criminals.  The citizens also need to be permitted to carry weapons, a right that is protected by the second amendment of the Constitution. 

Then we must include our open borders where we have no idea who is coming into our country.  We have no idea if the current drug war in Mexico, where estimates say there have been 110,000 murders, (5) is spilling across into our country.  Then we can discuss the failures of our nation to provide security for our ambassador and staff in Benghazi.  Our government was told numerous times of the situation in Benghazi and requests were made for additional security.  Yet their requests fell on deaf ears, resulting in the needless death of our ambassador and three others. 

Finally, our government has been derelict in protecting the rights of the unborn.  Estimates say that 1.2 million babies are aborted every year.  (6)  I understand that those on the pro-choice side argue that it is a fetus and not a life.  Then I encourage them to explain how a child born at 24 weeks weighing only 9 ounces is now thriving.  (7)  Isn’t she a life?

It is obvious that our present leadership is failing to protect the right to life that our founders believed to be an inherent right of every person.  This is where the Republican Party has a tremendous opportunity to rebuild its crumbling west wall.  By running on a platform of a strong military dedicated to keeping the citizens of our country safe.  By supporting law and order in our cities including allowing citizens to arm themselves, securing our borders, and protecting the rights of the unborn in our country, we can win over those in our country that are interested in achieving success and enjoying the best life has to offer.. 

Next Wednesday we will look at how the Republican Party can win over voters by becoming the liberty party, dedicated to the protection of the liberties of the citizens of the United States. 

1. Hillsdale College. The Constitution of the United States of America. [book auth.] Hillsdale College. The U.S. Constitution: A Reader. Hillsdale MI : Hillsdale College Press, 2012.

2. Chokshi, Niraj. What Is Sequestration and What Does It Mean for Me? www.nationaljournal.com. [Online] NationalJournal, May 30, 2013. [Cited: September 3, 2013.] http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/what-is-sequestration-and-what-does-it-mean-for-me-20130226.

3. Gertz, Bill. Pentagon Can’t Afford Syria Operation; Must Seek Additional Funds. freebeacon.com. [Online] The Washington Free Beacon, August 30, 2013. [Cited: September 3, 2013.] http://freebeacon.com/pentagon-cant-afford-syria-operation-must-seek-additional-funds/.

4. University of Chicago. An Interview with John R. Lott, Jr. www.press.uchicago.edu. [Online] the University of Chicago. [Cited: September 3, 2013.] http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493636.html.

5. Darby, Brandon. EXPERT: MEXICAN MURDER NUMBERS LIKELY DOUBLE FORMER ESTIMATES. www.breitbart.com. [Online] breitbart News, September 3, 2013. [Cited: September 4, 2013.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/09/03/Expert-Mexican-murders-Likely-Double-Former-Estimates-At-110-000.

6. Enriquez, Lauren. Abortion Statistics: 1.2 Million Babies Die Every Year From Abortions. www.lifenews.com. [Online] lifenews.com, July 1, 2013. [Cited: September 4, 2013.] http://www.lifenews.com/2013/07/01/abortion-statistics-1-2-million-babies-die-every-year-from-abortions/.

7. Gayle, Damien. 'She's a little miracle': Baby born at 24 weeks weighing just 9oz becomes world's third smallest to survive. www.dailymail.co.uk. [Online] The Daily Mail, December 16, 2011. [Cited: September 4, 2013.] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2074459/Third-smallest-baby-born-survive-thriving-born-nearly-months-early-weighing-just-9oz.html.