Obligatory Independence Day Post

Alright, so it’s not really obligatory, I have the freedom not to post anything, & I thought about it, but I feel so honored to live in this country that I must say: Happy Belated Birthday, U.S. of A.

When I consider, today, all the freedoms I have, I can own a gun, make a profile on nearly any website I choose, tell President Obama how much I dislike him, & his policies, protest in the streets without worry of being gunned down, or gassed, or beat to death, I can stand next to a Black man & a Woman who both vote & talk of where we disagree until we decide to watch a movie (I may make fault in politics, but my movie judgement is perfect, so don’t argue with me.) & get an ice cream. I can wear a shirt that says “F-k the USA” or “God Bless America”, I can praise Christ, Allah, the Spaghetti Monster, or nothing (all religions, or participants in the lack thereof, feel as though they are most chastised by the world, but I think those sneers are distributed fairly evenly). I can read a Bible, a Koran, or a book of witchcraft in public, because it’s who I am & it’s my choice. few, if any, countries can say those same things! We have a constitution that established Liberty for as many as was feasibly possible, given the climate, & established in a solid manner that Slaves are people too (where the vast amount of slave owners said they are merely property). This compromise did not establish that “Blacks are only 3/5 human” but that they were only 2/5 property, that they are more human than property, this was revolutionary, at least in the USA. It was made so that, instead of having a bloody revolution every time the constitution was to be revised, we could amend it to suit our needs for that generation on, & our kids, great grand kids, &c. can revise it as well. If they amend it to mimic totalitarian hereditary communist rule, they can do that, it’s what the amendment system is for!

I can write this blog virtually anonymously, speak of Christ Jesus, or the Devil, politics, absurdist humor, hackers, foreign policy, Israel, the Constitution & how it may or may not change & what I would like that to look like. These things I can do without fear of repercussion, because I am free!

Let your voice be heard, guns blaze the sky, & freedom ring!

my previous silence

so, for those who read through my blog (this being nobody at this point in time) I would like to bring to your attention, if it hasn’t already been noticed, I have had a bit of a silent period. I would like to apologize, service was down for about a month & I couldn’t do much about it, hopefully I will be able to keep that sort of thing from happening again. At any rate, expect the consistent flow of one-per-week posts to return again hopefully without ceasing. I have plenty to say on a variety of topics, so I hope you enjoy them. Tomorrow, being Independence day, one can expect a variety of 4th-o-July posts, indeed I will also throw drop in to the virtual ocean of thoughts & opinions. I hope you all enjoy it!

The Rite of Right Rights, Right?

I was speaking with a boy today of about 15 years old. He joyously proclaimed “‘M’ rated video games are legal for minors to buy now!” I asked how this was a good thing& he explained in vague libertarian fashion how the government does not have the right to ban minors from purchasing a video game no matter the rating. I asked about “R” rated movies, evidently that is a film industry choice, not a law (as he explained), & explicit music? ” store regulations, not law”. Eventually he asks frustratedly ” Do minors have no rights? Can the government do what they please with them? Throw them in jail on a whim?” I made a smirk as thoughts crossed my mind regarding his words, sarcasm & nostalgia mostly passed through my mind while I searched the recesses of my mind for an answer. Before I can answer he exclaims sharply “That’s bull! This conversation is over!” & angrily just like that, he storms up the stairs away from me. Since he can read my mind (or rather, since he believes he can) I let him walk away, but to you who chose a more civil rout which will not fuel the “Children get no rights” group, I will petition you to hear my thoughts, not guess them.

I currently believe this: 1) Children generally get their rights from their parents & protection of those rights from the same; 2)Adults get their rights from God & protection of these rights from the Government; 3)Government may regulate the actions & rights of children only insofar as enables the parent more regulatory power of the child (ie. Kid must get parent/guardian’s permission to purchase M rated games)
Minors are recognized by the general public as incapable of making “mature” choices for themselves, & in a vast part of the Christian (mostly the conservative) community the parents are recognized as the mentors, guardians & guides granted so by God by which children are held to a higher standard than they otherwise would hold themselves to.

Do Children have rights? Yes, those which the parent grants them. Or should we allow them to purchase Pornography? Or are they of equal mental capacity to purchase liquor & fire arms? Or to roam the streets without curfew as adults? If so, then do they also get the same punishment as adults when a crime is committed? Why then separate Federal Pens from Juvie? Or are they only equal in those things which are enjoyable to them & not those things which would be perceived as punishment?

Yes, yes, my arguments may have holes in it, & I welcome all criticism. I hope I made my point sufficiently (as opposed to perfectly), however.

Irradism

I find that, as a Christian, I’ve been raised to help most everybody, a community mindset, something innate in the Christian community which is damnable if not performed. The Founding “fathers” of the USA seemed to think differently. Don’t get me wrong, they were very charitable, loving, helping, etc. but they understood the virtues behind egoism, I think.

in an article in Time.com I read a few comments regarding Objectivism & Egoism, philosophies termed by Ayn Rand which are commonly confused for Hedonism. As a Christian I can’t reconcile this mindset which seems to say (as one man said it) “I’m on the boat, pull up the lines!”, but here is what I have considered on the matter:

as a Christian I can’t reconcile it with my faith, though I feel in some small way it aligns itself with what a supreme being has created: each person, new & individual, independent of each other. Of course, I feel that said supreme being must prefer us to help one another, but that how we help one another is up to us & whether or not we do has no affect on salvation. I suppose we could help our fellow man by performing the action we are best at (which, in religious circles would be referred to as “God’s calling”) which typically improves society indirectly, & the sale of which will generally positively affect economics in the long run, if not immediately (which, in religious circles would be considered a “blessing to mankind”).

I feel like this is close to the enlightenment era mindset of rationalism, that Ayn Rand has encapsulated their thoughts on rationalism outside religion, & how they applied it while believing in God (Objectivism leaves no room for God) is the question I ask. Is there a biblical foundation for this, & where is it? Can we help one another & be so completely individual, or are we trapped, doomed to say “We” the rest of our lives? At this moment I’ve labeled my considerations “Irradism” for lack of a pre-created term.

Anthem of I

“Anthem” By Ayn Rand

Not quite as curious a title as “Atlas Shrugged”, which I suppose when I read I will understand better. This introspective novel of wits takes place in a world which many may consider ideal. No electricity to pollute the planet, no green house monster vehicles to transport us between destinations; we all work together, kindly, efficiently; there are no food shortages, hunger is gone, war has been expunged from the earth! A world many may consider heaven to like.

Then we hear a different story.

A man who has friends, but can not communicate favor, no birthday parties, gifts, or movie nights. One can not fall in love, you go to a place to be assigned a mate, with whom you will make babies. You grow old & die, alone though surrounded by people.

I am (I will admit) rather picky when it comes to my “mates”, I’ve had few girl friends because the specifications I have are so narrow that I fear some times I may never find her (hint: She must be able to read this & not get offended, for starters) & honestly I’m not sure I could just make babies with any woman whom the government assigned me.

The protagonist seems to feel the same way, & starts considering that he has been chosen by a devil of sorts to discover what God created man for. He doesn’t want to live, he wants life! he is exceptional & knows it. He discovers that this is a great thing & finds identity in himself apart from society.

I seldom enjoy reading, though I read often, but here we have a novel that has struck me like lightening strikes a rod. We often feel that we must be part of what society wants us to be, they want us to be them & not “I”, as it were. When I mentioned this to my brother he pointed out what many take for granted ” ‘I’ is capitalized”, “we” isn’t “us”, “our”, “them”, in effect it becomes an identity, another name, individual though common to us all. “I” is who each of us are, the one thing we have in common, & no two are alike.

Objectivism is not concerned with religion & leaves no room for religion to be inserted, but I feel a nagging inside of me that this is the philosophy –or most closely associated with the philosophy– of the Most High King. Somehow, some way, Ayn Rand was correct about something that scares us, which God wants us to know.

Where is George Washington? (probably next to Waldo)

Where is the next George Washington? Why hasn’t he emerged? I’ve been asked that by a lot of friends, discouraged, beleaguered, & depressed by the thought that their children may not see an America in which many of the freedoms we have to day exist. Perhaps press may be free, & speech, & religious choice, but not Health Care choice, or religious action, or many other things. They wonder if they will have the means to create a world better for their children & grandchildren through their work, through investment & thrift, through education & trade; will they create a private estate enviable by those who don’t inherit said estate, or will it be plundered by the “representatives” whom they elect, or by those whose lives rest in the hands of government & not their fellow man, or by those who purely don’t wish to work because their “middle class” life is purchased by another?

Where is the next George Washington?

I answered my sister the other day, but I don’t think it’s the answer she wanted to hear. Everybody wishes charity were theirs for the taking, & charity has many forms. Few men (like President Washington) found accepting charity deplorable in their own lives & lived as though they were the only person they had. They banded together to help one another, drawing from the strengths of others, but typically only when they could not perform the action alone. They new that the greatest charity would come from their own hands, & from God through his blessings. They didn’t shun others, but they didn’t beg like a dog for scraps either; they offered to help each other, & seldom asked for help from one another. Today, even the most conservative person is tempted to ask “Will you save me? Will you grant me leadership? Will you protect me, George Washington?” When President Washington was a man of performance, not of beggary; a man of action, not a man of question; a man who lead, not one who asked directions. Washington, when the time came, did not ask “Where is Constantine?”, or “where is Cesar?”. Washington, when the time came, said “here am I!”

The answer I gave my sister was this: “George Washington probably never asked ‘where is George Washington’, which is the reason he existed”

The time has come, & I implore you, ask not “where is Washington”, because he has gone. Ask yourself “Where am I?”

Tea with Ken Cuccinelli.

Tea, with Attorney General of Virginia Ken Cuccinelli was amazing! Alright, I didn’t exactly have tea with him, but I met him at a Tea Party rally (which, now that I repeat it, sounds rather redundant & repetitive. Maybe it’s just me!) which was more than I could have expected.

Standing at around 6′ 0″ (Wikipedia could probably give you a more accurate height if it’s that big a deal to you) with the manner of what I expect a king would be, though not a hint of elite either in his stare, his speech, or his presence. Charisma & character mixed splendidly, I shook his hand, expecting something violent like a vice-grip which always exposes the thought of resentment of the people & moment, but finding a welcoming shake & a tone of voice as though we have been friends for a long time. I spoke & asked to speak with him afterward “I’ve gotta bolt after this, I missed a meeting at three!” he said friendly though not apologetically (he’s a busy man after all). I asked him a question regarding the supremacy clause & he answered as though he was a professor teaching me a topic, no arrogance or condescension in his tone at all.

Fast forward to his speech. Calm, friendly, inviting, as though he owned the town & we were his welcomed guests. Speaking plainly with phrases like ” If they can make you buy health care, they can make you buy vegetables.” one of the humorous scare tactics I hear so much about in the news which republicans are infamous for. “not vegetables!” I thought as he continued on “I don’t like broccoli…” — I could hear the thoughts of the elderly women in the crowed scolding him for not eating the vegetables they wished to serve him for dinner that night — “… but they’ll make you buy it! well, asparagus or broccoli, that’s the battle right? Which is worse? They’ll do research to find out which is worse & make you buy that one, just because you don’t like it!”
amid the humor was a serious point, so grave that the humor was needed to lighten it lest we ignore the fact for fear of danger, bury our heads in the midst of an important lesson we wont soon forget.

Near the end, his parting words (as I remember them in any case) “…we must do this for our kids, so they can live as in the days…” his pause was the first pause, the first stutter, the first hint that something had caused him to think hard about his words. His face turning a sort of light red, the skin tightening on his face & fists, eyes nearly closed fighting back the tears which formed as if he lost a dear friend, he choked out “… when men were free” looking at the podium for a second, holding tight as though to regain footing he looked back up at the crowd nearly composed “thank you” as bright & calm as one in pain can say.

as he walked back in the the crowd, his eyes still wet with what is obviously genuine passion, he cheered up when the elderly who made up most of the crowd shook his hand & even asked for his picture (perhaps to throw darts at, since he is fighting Obamacare). Off he walked, joyfully to his vehicle which was to take him to his next meeting where, I suspect, they too were to feel this force, this common man’s prince who is Ken Cuccinelli

The $100 Billion failure

It looks as though $100 bil will not be the golden number this time around, that newly elected officials (primarily of the Republican sort) have both lied to & failed their constituents, the Tea Party members primarily, by allowing the government to continue functioning. They have “caved” if you will. “hear hear” say many who look on in anger at the government spending, “vote them out too, how can we trust them?!”. Please, aim your anger & slogans at the proper enemy.

As an independent & a proud supporter of the Tea Party Patriots, I have a voice to speak, questions to ask, & a case to make for those whom we are quickly labeling the “enemy” of our plans. First the questions: Did they cave for political points, what about the troops? What would cutting $100 billion do to our country in its current economic state?

These are the two primary questions that come to mind. The first thought of a Tea Party follower is probably “how dare they?!”, perhaps they dare because they wish to fund our troops. If you think they don’t need funding, consider the families of said troops. We don’t have $100 billion in tax cuts but we have supported our military, be proud of that, thankful for what cuts are made & start preparing for the next fight. Do not dwell on unrealistic goals that could not be accomplished.

Which brings me to my second question. What would cutting $100 billion do to the country? Do you know? Have you considered the job loss vs. job opportunities? Can you get a job? Because I don’t know about you, but when I looked last the unemployment was above %8.5. & whether we like it or not, cutting $100 billion will eliminate jobs, jobs which our private economy isn’t prepared to generate. In this bloggers mind, we must first create an economy conducive to private & corporate growth. We must! When jobs become available, when we see the economy fall to %5 then I would stand with the TPP in cutting $100 billion, but only when we see growth & not just stability.

The case is this, the promise made was an irrationally high goal to hit, economically it is too dangerous & even irresponsible at this point in time yet they fought, knowing the dangers it posed, fought to keep the promise as best they could & what it boiled down to is that they don’t have the senate or the presidency, they don’t have the votes to keep their promise. It’s not that they didn’t, it’s that they couldn’t! Consider that when you’re at the polls next year.

Legacy

The other day it occurred to me, I’m going to die! a doctor hasn’t diagnosed me with a common deadly virus, or heart disease, but we all die. I could be hit by a car, struck by lightning, or catch a deadly disease. Eventually,there will be no more Tertius G. Himmelreich, & what have I accomplished to solidify my footprint in the cement of time. Or will time be like sand & water, washing way my footprint only moments after my passing?

Try as I might, I am rather young, I’ve not accomplished much, & haven’t made a name for myself. I’ve been a decent person, but decent people are soon forgotten. How do the likes of Jesus, Buddha, Moses, or Washington establish their names, or rather inscribe them in stone? Is this vain thinking? Maybe, but we’ve all thought it at one time or another, when we strive to be first place, to break a record, or to impact a life.

Hopefully by the end of my life I will have impacted enough lives, or impacted a life so strongly, that I will be remembered by many.

America’s Other Civil Wars

Lybia, Yemen, Bahrain, you name a middle east country, or north African country, & you’ll probably hear about a revolution. They are civil wars! One national faction fighting another for control of the lives of the people & the land. The people on one side fight for freedom, the other for loyalty; they all fight for differences in religion, & politics.

America has some how gotten involved in these fights, & I’d like to know how? Yes, not “why”, because I don’t care why. Some think the rebels are good guys, others think oil is involved, no matter the case, it’s not our war! How could we consider sending our troops to fight in their war, do you think they’ll be our friend when it’s over? If history shows anything, the answer is no!

These civil wars are the wars of the people. They have an obligation to stand against their governments if they feel threatened, they have an obligation to stand against despotism & autocracy, to defend their country, their families, their future. America does not have an obligation to get involved. That’s right, I said it! We don’t!

Consider this: We get involved, we help a group we think is right, they gain control, they put in a leader, the leader turns on his people, & then what? The people learn a lesson? They learn who not to put in power? The more likely lesson they learn is that America screwed them over. It’s the lesson Iraq learned from Saddam Hussein, it’s the lesson Afghanistan seems likely to learn (yes, despite the fact they voted him in, we were involved so we are the scape goat), it’s a lesson Iran has learned. Civil wars, though horrible things, are growing pains for a people & a nation. They happen because the people are learning, & if we jump in & do their homework for them, what have they gained?

The other issue I have is this, the people turned on their government & the government is killing the people. Now, the people call on the USA for help. I know it sounds cold & horrible, but when a people turn on their government, what do you expect? Flowers & candy? It’s an insurrection, a rebellion, & as much as the people have a right to turn on their government in such a manner, the government has a right to defend itself & protect its power. Despite how much we might feel like we sympathize & understand what is going on, we don’t. Unless you were raised in that country, you couldn’t understand.

The curious thing about civil wars is, nobody but the people & government of that nation undergoing a civil war understands why it is happening. Foreign intervention is naive, if not stupid. It helps few, & harms many, hindering the growth of that nation by “easing” its growing pains. The most I would have anybody “intervene” is through food, & medical assistance for civilians, anything more than that is, in this writers opinion, crossing the line.