Thursday, May 28, 2009

Random thoughts covering current events



"History affords us many instances of the ruin of states, by the prosecution of measures ill suited to the temper and genius of their people. The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of protection, rights, privileges, and advantages, is what every part is entitled to, and ought to enjoy... These measures never fail to create great and violent jealousies and animosities between the people favored and the people oppressed; whence a total separation of affections, interests, political obligations, and all manner of connections, by which the whole state is weakened."


--Benjamin Franklin, Emblematical Representations

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"It has long, however, been my opinion, and I have never shrunk from its expression ... that the germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution of the federal Judiciary; ... working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and a little tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be usurped."

--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Charles Hammond, August 18, 1821

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"Men, to act with vigour and effect, must have time to mature measures, and judgment and experience, as to the best method of applying them. They must not be hurried on to their conclusions by the passions, or the fears of the multitude. They must deliberate, as well as resolve."


--Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, January 6, 1833

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"Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing."


--Thomas Paine, Rights of Man, 1791

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"We have heard of the impious doctrine in the old world, that the people were made for kings, not kings for the people. Is the same doctrine to be revived in the new, in another shape -- that the solid happiness of the people is to be sacrificed to the views of political institutions of a different form? It is too early for politicians to presume on our forgetting that the public good, the real welfare of the great body of the people, is the supreme object to be pursued; and that no form of government whatever has any other value than as it may be fitted for the attainment of this object."


--James Madison, Federalist No. 45

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The above, relevant thoughts from very wise men, remain as a way to guide our elected officials to this very day; apparently, those in power do not see them that way or more likely do not realize they exist. I wonder as I re-read these wise words, how we managed to get into the situation of today; our Constitution was written to set down the way we would be governed based on individuals rights, state's rights and how involved the federal government was to be in regards to those rights. The federal government was put in place to safeguard the individuals, state's rights along with protection from interference and/or interference from foreign powers; how then did we come to the point of the federal government being 'in charge' of our everyday lives?

The Supreme Court of the land has one sole purpose....to interpret and apply the laws as written in the Constitution, not to set policy or legislate from the bench. If we feel our inalienable rights, guaranteed by the Constitution, are being infringed on we have the right of appeal, all the way to the Supreme Court. This is all well and good but poses another question in my mind; why can't the lower courts do what their reason for being do what is right and constitutionally right before the appeal has to get presented to the highest court in the land? Is it (as I believe) that these lower federal courts are politicized? Why wait until a judge is appointed to the supreme court to properly vest these judges when they should be more closely scrutinized at these lower levels? It's the same principal as I see it, as to how a politician moves up the 'ladder' to run for Congress or Senator...including President. The incompetent, the biased, those with chips on their shoulders should be weeded out early but we've grown accustomed to the 'political grease' ascending the 'favorites of the lobbyists' up the political ladder.

Corruption isn't reserved for only the highest offices, it starts early and has become acceptable. Are we so gullible as to believe campaign rhetoric, then turn the other cheek while our rights, our right for pursuit of happiness, get trampled under? Way more people than not, do not think of themselves as gullible, why then, is more attention not paid to the action and right of voting for our leaders? Why is settling for one over the other considered 'the lesser of two evils'? Why do voters say things like, 'he or she is good looking, so they get my vote'? The latter isn't being gullible, it's plain ridiculous! Same as voting for someone who promises the impossible...yes, I'm speaking of universal health care....but doesn't explain where they'll get the cash funds to pay for all our 'wants' over all our 'needs'. Mick Jagger said it best..'You can't always get what you want...but if you try sometimes, you'll get what you need'. Next time y'all decide to buy something and are short of finances...ask yourself this question...do I need it or do I just want it?

The democrats want Sonia Sotomayor on the Supreme Court...but I ask you, based on her biased, racist comments, do we really need her on that Bench?

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Now, I want to touch on the situations in Iran and N. Korea...BatMan's sidekick said it best..."Holy Moley BatMan"...if N. Korea gets off with doing what they've been doing these past few weeks, how can we expect Iran to 'take a more positive, in the world's interests', approach to acquiring a nuclear weapon'? IMHO, they are on the final approach to acquiring one as I type and you read; also IMHO, Israel should not be scolded by our government about removing Iran's nuclear capability to date, just as we cannot sit idly by and put up with the threats from N. Korea considering they already have a nuclear capability. They no longer are obliged to be bound by the cease-fire agreement of 1953, that interprets into a resumption of hostilities, that needs to be addressed....aggressively and soon. There'll be more on this later.

Hey obama, can I hold a dollar?

2 comments:

HighCotton said...

"Why wait until a judge is appointed to the supreme court to properly vest these judges when they should be more closely scrutinized at these lower levels? It's the same principal as I see it, as to how a politician moves up the 'ladder' to run for Congress or Senator...including President. The incompetent, the biased, those with chips on their shoulders should be weeded out early..."

Point well taken!

Where/who can we start.......... to hammer this into the right agenda to clean up the scum from the top down? I am game to burn some eyes and ears!

Mo said...

Sadly, as the founders predicted, the Constitution erodes through time. To some it may even be irrelevant. In the midst of this correction, I wonder which path the American people will choose- the way of our Founders intended, the well worn path to socialism, or a nose dive into hell.

Interesting times we are living in.


GrandSon, Nathan