Just A Few Thougths

I would hope that everyone has heard the old saying, 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.' Allow me, just for a moment, to expand upon that. What is one to do if the horse refuses to drink? Is he to stand there patiently while the horse dies of dehydration, is he to continually prod the horse in the hopes that it will drink, or is he to give up all hope for that horse and go on about his life, realizing that the horse was going to die?

That is how I often feel when I discuss issues of importance with people. I feel as though I am leading them in the direction they need to be led, so that they can begin to see the troubles that face this nation, and the reasons behind those problems, however, once presented with the facts they just stand there and stare at me, as if to say, 'Are you nuts?'

I understand that people have been lied to by so many people, their educators, the media, and their elected representatives, that it is hard to accept the truth when you finally confront it. Nevertheless, the truth is, just that, the truth. Anyone with an open mind should be willing to at least take a look at the information presented them, and do some research on their own to find out if there is any validity to what they have been told.

More often than not, people revert to name calling instead of taking the time to do some serious searching for the truth. In other words, if they don't hear it on the news, it must not be true.

Yet these same people are willing to admit that there are problems in this country, and they flock to someone like Barack Obama who promises them 'Change We Can Believe In.' However, this article is not about Barack Obama, it is about the people of this country, and their willingness, or lack thereof, to examine facts.

In many ways, the people of this country are like crack addicts. Just as a crack addict may realize that they have squandered their savings, lost their job, ruined their health, they refuse to admit to the real cause, their addiction to crack.

The people of this country realize that we have problems with our economy, crime, and a host of other issues, but they are unwilling to admit the true problem, that there is a concerted force at work to bring about the downfall of this nation.

Until people accept that, they can elect all the Barack Obama's they want, and nothing is going to change. To prove I am not just picking on Senator Obama, the media is now focusing its attention on John McCain's selection for Vice President. She is being vetted by the media, and the American people. Some like what they see, some don't, but that is not the point. The point is that she, while on her own, may be a fine choice for elected official, is only a side show, a distraction. John McCain is the candidate for President, not Sarah Palin, and John McCain is just as bad a choice for President as Barack Obama.

I find it interesting, that as our nation deteriorates, their is a distinct parallel between our inability to discern the truth, and our nations slump into immorality and indecency.

What was totally unacceptable, and unheard of, when I was growing up is now common place. The lyrics of songs, the language used on television, the content of television and movie shows, the open push for acceptance of homosexuals and abortion, these are all things that were taboo when I was young. These are also things that any preacher worth his salt would be openly condemning, no matter the cost to their personal reputation.

Our nation is on the road to ruin, of that there is no doubt in my mind. As I write my commentaries, I am only presenting people with the facts that they need to understand some of the problems we face, and some of the reasons for those problems. If they refuse to heed my words, then I cannot sit here and patiently wait until the light goes on in their head. By then it may be too late.

Just as when a weather forecaster warns of an approaching storm, and people wait until it is too late to evacuate, or at least stock up on essential items, I cannot wait forever for the people of this country to accept that what people like me are saying as truth.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "We, I hope, shall adhere to our republican government and keep it to its original principles by narrowly watching it." The American people have not done that and it is way past time when watching our government is going to do any good. To be blunt, our nations capital needs a good enema to purge the crap that has been putrefying their for a very long time. Unless that happens, this nation is going down the tubes, no if’s and’s or but’s about it.

So America, you have a chance, albeit a slim one, of waking up and saving it. However you must open your minds to the possibility that you have been lied to and deceived for all these years. Only then, when you are willing to examine BOTH sides of the story with equal enthusiasm, can things change.

I Have Lost Faith

Imagine someone you know who lost a loved one in a tragic accident. Imagine that this person found out that there loved one had gone into a river and had been washed away by the current to drown. Then imagine that there had been some rafters aimlessly drifting down the river who could have helped, but they were too involved in having a good time to pay any attention.

That is about how I feel right now with the state of affairs in our country. It is rapidly on course to implode and people are too worried about their own little lives to take the time to pay attention to what is really going on.

I have lost faith in the majority of my fellow countrymen to do what is needed to change the course of this, once mighty, nation, to return us on a path to liberty and prosperity.

I remember being one of the mindless zombies that lived their daily lives, oblivious to what was happening around me. That all changed in the early 90's when I began writing letters to my elected officials concerning gun control. Guns had always been a big part of my life growing up and I was concerned about all the laws that were being passed to restrict the rights of gun owners.

I remember how happy I felt when I would receive a letter from my Congressman in reply to my letter to them. Yet the new gun laws kept coming. How naive I was to think that they actually cared what I had to say!

The next issue I began to be concerned about was illegal immigration. I added that issue to my list of subjects to discuss with my elected officials. Again I got polite letters in return and thought that they actually read them. Again, how wrong I was as the problem with illegal immigration kept getting worse.

About this time I began devoting time to researching these issues in depth to find out why these things were happening. What I discovered rocked my world! I realized that those who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and preserve and defend our nation had been selling us down the river. The news media, who up until this point I had trusted to tell me the truth, had been withholding this information from me.

That was my epiphany, or awakening to the severity of the problems this country faces. I began studying the Constitution in earnest. I gathered quotes by the founders and researched Supreme Court rulings on the issues.

There is a huge, conspiracy if you wish to call it that, to bring about the downfall of the United States of America. Believe it or not, but the truth exists. I would not have believed it twenty years ago myself, but I am willing to examine the facts for myself and make my own decisions based upon those facts. Far too many Americans are unwilling to even examine the facts, they blindly follow along, thinking that they are making a difference when they vote and write their letters to their elected officials, as I once did.

What is needed is a complete enema of our political system to flush out all the corruption, to be replaced by people who understand and are willing to support the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as they were intended.

That is when I began writing my commentaries, and each day I learned more. I have also been told that my writing style has improved dramatically, and that I am among the top tier of those who write to save our nation. Of that I am not so certain. If that were the case more people would be listening to what I have to say and our nation would not be continuing on the path it is.

I heard awhile back that someone had said, in response to an article I wrote, that “they hate when someone quotes the founding fathers when it comes to our government.” I was dumbfounded that anyone could be so obtuse.

First off, if it weren’t for our founding fathers we would not have a Constitution, they wrote it after all. Next off, if we did not have a Constitution, we would not have the government as it is formatted today. So how can anyone say that the thoughts of the founding fathers are irrelevant? To say so only shows a depth of ignorance that is the true cause of all the problems this country faces.

If people would read the thoughts of the founders and then compare them to how our government exists today they would realize that something is amiss. Allow me to give you just a few examples of how wise our founders were, and how we would be just as wise to heed their words.

Political parties have divided this country so badly that the chasm that exists between Republicans and Democrats is impossible to overcome. What did our founders say about political parties?

George Washington had this to say, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence was even more firm in his opposition, and said the following, “I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to Heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.”

These two founders both thought that political parties were something to be avoided, yet the people of this country are divided along political lines. I would like to ask those who belong to either of the political parties a simple question. Has anything truly been that much better for you, or for our country, when your party has been in power? Could it possibly be that both parties are beholden to their own cadre of special interest groups whose interests have nothing in common with the welfare of the nation? If that is the case, why do you still continue to support them and vote for their candidates? When you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil. Evil is not what this country needs.

Speaking of evil, what did our founders have to say about that subject? Again, I would like to quote George Washington, “ I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an Honest Man.”

Thomas Jefferson had this to say, “I never did, or countenanced, in public life, a single act inconsistent with the strictest good faith; having never believed there was one code of morality for a public, and another for a private man.”

John Adams, our third President had this to say, “Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free Constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People in a greater Measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty.”

Now I would like to present a series of quotes about what our founders felt was the function of government.

George Washington said, “The power under the constitution will always be in the people. It is intrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own choosing; and, whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their servants can and undoubtedly will be recalled.”

Thomas Jefferson made the following two statements regarding government, “The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits.”

“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”

Finally, James Madison said, “[T]he powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend its jurisdiction.”

These men are the same who deliberated in Philadelphia over the structure and powers that would be granted our government. They came to an agreement and that agreement is contained within the Constitution. Each person holding office takes an oath to uphold it and we, as citizens, owe our founders to at least be familiar with what it says.

If we would put aside our own personal interests, the interests of our individual political party, and read the Constitution and what it says our government can and cannot do, we might have a different perspective upon the candidates who seek office. We may also take a different look at the laws that are passed, often with our best interests in mind, or in our desire for action in response to an event that we feel our government should act upon.

Finally, I would like to ask you to look at the legislation our government has passed since September 11th to protect us from future terrorist attacks. Then I would like for you to read the following quotes by James Madison. Think about what these quotes say, and then ask yourself two things. First, ask yourself if the government has the power to enact these laws, then ask yourself if these laws are truly in our best interests.

“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”

“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”

“It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.”

In concluding, there is one last quote from Madison I would like for you to consider when it comes to people like myself who constantly write about the abuses of power by our government.
“As the cool and deliberate sense of the community ought, in all governments, and actually will, in all free governments, ultimately prevail over the views of its rulers; so there are particular moments in public affairs when the people, stimulated by some irregular passion, or some illicit advantage, or misled by the artful misrepresentations of interested men, may call for measures which they themselves will afterwards be the most ready to lament and condemn. In these critical moments, how salutary will be the interference of some temperate and respectable body of citizens, in order to check the misguided career, and to suspend the blow meditated by the people against themselves, until reason, justice, and truth can regain their authority over the public mind?”

When I write my commentaries, I gain nothing from them. I am not paid to do so, nor am I supported or subsidized by any group. I do so out of love for my country. I feel that we are on the verge of losing our liberties, and our sovereignty if more people do not wake up and begin to question the things that our government is doing.

If we are to survive there must be a complete, and total, cleansing of the scum that hold office. The ties to the special interests that are destroying this nation must be broken, to leave one single incumbent in office who is beholden to special interest groups is to allow them to retain some semblance of control over the acts of our government.

It may be too late, but if there is still a chance, this is a hail Mary attempt to talk some common sense into the people of this country, to do what is needed to save it from itself. But, as the title says, I have little faith that will happen.

Where's The Justice?

In 1975 rock guitarist Ted Nugent recorded a song entitled Stormtroopin. In it he sang, "Where's the justice and where's that law. Raise your healthy voice." That was thirty three years ago, yet the question still arises, just where is the justice, and where is that law.

When one talks about who has the power in this country, I often find that people assume that the power lies with the government. That was not always so. Our very first president, George Washington, once said, “The power under the constitution will always be in the people. It is intrusted for certain defined purposes, and for a certain limited period, to representatives of their own choosing; and, whenever it is executed contrary to their interest, or not agreeable to their wishes, their servants can and undoubtedly will be recalled.”

That is a very powerful statement, yet for the people to hold on to that power they must be willing to exercise it, sometimes at great cost. For them to fear what may befall them should they go against the many agencies of the federal government means that they have willingly given up their rightful power and that the government, instead of being the servant, has become the master.

The federal government only exists because the Constitution for the United States of America grants it the power to govern. Article six of the Constitution states, “This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land; and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.”

James Madison, who many consider the author of the Constitution, declared in a speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, “[T]he powers of the federal government are enumerated; it can only operate in certain cases; it has legislative powers on defined and limited objects, beyond which it cannot extend its jurisdiction.”

Ten Years later Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Whensoever the General Government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force."

Even Alexander Hamilton, who stood for a loose interpretation of the Constitution stated, “No legislative act contrary to the Constitution can be valid.”

People assume that our Constitution grants our legislators whatever powers they deem necessary to govern the people. That is not the case. As Jefferson said, "[The purpose of a written constitution is] to bind up the several branches of government by certain laws, which, when they transgress, their acts shall become nullities; to render unnecessary an appeal to the people, or in other words a rebellion, on every infraction of their rights, on the peril that their acquiescence shall be construed into an intention to surrender those rights."

Short of open rebellion, what are a people to do when their government wields the ability to imprison them for violating laws that are blatantly unconstitutional? First off people must become familiar with the limitations our Constitution places upon our government. As long as we do not understand the true function of government, then we will remain slaves to it. James Madison once said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

Yet even knowledge is not enough. People must be willing to stand up for their beliefs and use the law against those who would pervert it. Each of us, according to the Sixth Amendment, shall “...enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury...”

Therein lies our true power over an abusive tyrannical government. Thomas Jefferson said of this concept, “I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.”

Therefore, if the people become aware of the limitations placed upon the government by the Constitution, and find themselves in a court of law for violating a law that is unconstitutional, there is one thing, which our government does not wish for us to know, which can clear us of all charges, that being jury nullification.

Jury nullification is when the jury finds a person innocent due to the fact that they find the law under which a person is charged null and void. This may sound radical by today’s standards, but consider what John Jay, our very first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court once said, “The jury has the right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy.” Therefore, a jury may acquits any defendant due to the fact that the law he is charged with is unconstitutional. You have to remember, as George Washington said, “The power under the constitution will always be in the people.”

If the power under the Constitution lies with the people, and that juries consist of our peers, and that juries are also to “...judge both the law as well as the fact ...” then that is a mighty tool we wield to fight against usurpations of power by our government.

Jury nullification is something that was commonly understood by jurors, in fact it was explained to them by the judges themselves. However in the 1800’s the judges began questioning jurors to find if they were prejudiced against the governments position. If found to be biased against the government, they were dismissed.

Then, in 1895, the Supreme Court ruled that courts no longer had to inform juries that they had the power to veto an unjust law. In U.S. v Moylan, the Fourth Circuit Court affirmed the right of jury nullification, yet upheld the courts right to refuse that the jurors be notified of that right. In U.S. v Dougherty 473 F.2d 1113, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled similarly, stating that jury nullification is a de facto power, but they also ruled that a defense attorney may not inform the jury of that right.

Jury nullification is something very few are familiar with. Jurors are now instructed by the judge, as they are in California, “"It becomes my duty as judge to instruct you concerning the law applicable to this case, and it is your duty as jurors to follow the law as I shall state it to you . . . You are to be governed solely by the evidence introduced in this trial as the law as stated to you by me."

In 1788, during the debates for the ratification of the Constitution, it was argued, “If a juror accepts as the law that which the judge states, then that juror has accepted the exercise of absolute authority of a government employee and has surrendered a power and right that once was the citizens safeguard of liberty.”

John Adams, our second President once said, "...it is not only his right, but his duty – to find the verdict according to his own best understanding, judgment, and conscience, though in direct opposition to the direction of the court." (Yale Law Journal, 1964:173)

Jury nullification is a powerful tool that can be wielded by the people against their government. Yet it can only be wielded by a people who are informed as to the true functions of their government according to the Constitution.

This is why I repeat, ad naseum, that our apathy is what is allowing this country to sink further towards our own destruction. How can we fight against an overwhelming government if we are not informed?

Jury nullification cannot work when only one person has the courage to stand up and argue against punishing our fellow countrymen for violating laws that are unjust.
As long as we blindly follow political parties who have no desire to uphold the Constitution, we have no hope of reclaiming our freedom. As long as we rely upon the news media to inform and educate us concerning the true function of our government, we will continue existing as servants to an ungrateful master.

As Ted Nugent said, “Where's the justice and where's that law. Raise your healthy voice.”

Things As I See Them

In response to, what I like to call my 'Sour Grapes Series' of articles, I have been told by one particular individual that I am too negative, and at the same time, too long winded. There may be some justification for me being called long winded, as I do tend to ramble on a bit once I get started on a subject. But to call me negative, now that is up for debate.

When I write I call a spade a spade. That is something my father taught me a long time ago. Although it has caused me some grief over the years, as I was told by others that I should have used a bit more tact. I may come across as being negative, but the way I feel is more desperate. I have tried presenting people with evidence; quotations and statistics, yet I am, for the most part, ignored or called some sort of a conspiracy nut.

I am just an average guy who, a few years back, awoke to the treasonous behavior of his elected representatives, I have since then been trying to inform others of their behavior. I have no special gifts other than the willingness to examine the facts with an open mind. I spend much of my free time trying to learn more concerning the damage that is being inflicted upon our nation by special interests and their bought and paid for lackeys in office.

If me, being a C average high school graduate, can see through the lies and deceptions, and learn the truth of what is really happening in this country, why can't those with an education equal to, or higher than mine? I have no sympathy for anyone who is so closed minded that they won't face the truth when it is presented to them. So, it may be true that I am a bit negative in some of my writings, but those who are on the receiving end of my articles deserve what they get, for they are blinded to the truth by their ignorance and their apathy.

These same people, the ones upon whom I speak about, are the same ones who idolize Barack Obama as if he is the next best thing since sliced bread. Sure he is a fine orator, has charisma, and is the apparent darling of the media. He speaks to them of change that they can believe in, and they swoon over him like the young women who swooned over Elvis and the Beatles. They are so intoxicated by his charm that they do not even bother to examine the details of this change that he is talking about.

Barack Obama is running on the same platform of socialist programs that have been the hallmark of the democrats for years. So what is this change he talks about?

Is his change going to include changing our national anthem to I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing? Is his change going to be removing the American flag from all governmental buildings because people of the world find it 'oppressive'? Is the change going to be his taking the oath of office on the Koran instead of the Bible? Or is his change going to be simply to be the first African-American elected as President?

But wait, that is not the case either. Barack Obama is half white, a fact he chooses not to embrace. He is part Arab, another part of his ancestry he does not openly embrace. Only a small portion of his heritage is true African, that on the side of his grandmother.

So what is Barack Obama? He is an illusion, created to woo us with his charm and his eloquence, when in reality he is a hollow man, totally lacking in the accomplishments we should be looking for in our next president.

I have been told that I should stop being so negative. I find that asking a bit much when I see the way that people refuse to examine the issues, and would rather vote based upon some warm fuzzy feeling they get about a person from a slick 30 second political advertisement. You have to remember, the devil must have been pretty smooth and charismatic to get Eve to take a bite from the forbidden fruit.

I will stop being so negative when I see that the American people have begun to think again, when they have begun to open their eyes and accept that they have been lied to, deceived, and most of all, defrauded of their liberties by those whom they entrusted to guard over them. That is when I will write sugary sweet commentaries about how wonderful America is. Until then....

Guest submission

This was written by a close friend, Mr. Jim Schwiesow, a retired sheriff from Iowa. You can visit Jim's webpage at Sheriff Jim Online.

Here is his latest article. It is very powerful and speaks to the heart concerning something we should all consider very closely.

Neal

BEYOND A FIERY GATE LIES OUR DESTINY
By: Jim R Schwiesow

“Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,
and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue
shall consume away in their mouth.” Zechariah 14:12

He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will
be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be
foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites,
ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs
of the times?Matthew 16:2-3

Today, while surfing the internet I ran across one of those interminably silly arguments, via a written exchange, as to whether the Bible is verifiably true or just a collection of colorful, and obtuse fairy tales. It is interesting that these exchanges always seem to be comprised of a divide between the collective bodies of two groups - those who despise the thought that a sovereign God exists and that He might have any control over the universe, the world or horror of horrors their own personal lives, and those nominal Christians who spin their wheels futilely and vainly with nonsensical contentions and vacuous arguments grounded only in the wisdom and doctrines of men and devoid of an unfaltering, unshakable and unassailable belief in the super natural power of the Eternal Spirit who created a universe of one hundred twenty-five billion galaxies; each encompassing one hundred billion stars. All this is mindful of the old TV commercial in which a little old lady lifts the top of the bun enclosing a hamburger and indignantly exclaims, “Where’s the beef?” Like that scrawny little denizen of the geriatric set a true believer in the eternal almighty and infallible God looks at these delusive and puny proffers and cries out, “Where’s the faith?”

On August 6, 1945 a relatively small, by today’s standards, atomic bomb of 130 pounds of Uranium-235 named “Little Boy” plunged from the belly of an American B-29 bomber and detonated 1,900 feet above the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later another B-29 Superfortress carried a nuclear bomb to Nagasaki, a hapless secondary target that was an unfortunate alternate to the primary target of Kokura, which was obscured by clouds. The Japanese military upon noting that only two aircraft were approaching thought that it was only a reconnaissance mission and no alarm was given. Minutes later a second nuclear device, a bulbous Plutonium bomb aptly called “Fat Boy” descended and detonated 1,500 feet above the city. In two brief and blindingly horrific instances within the space of three days 150,000 people died, incinerated by temperatures exceeding 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. They died in their tracks; their eyes dissolved in their sockets, their tongues dissolved in their mouths and the flesh was consumed from their bones. They either evaporated into nothingness or dropped to the ground as ashes, which were blown away by fiery winds of six hundred miles per hour. And these were the lucky ones upwards of 200,000 more people of those two cities died slowly, agonizingly and tortuously over the next five years from radiation sickness and cancers.

What is not commonly known is that the Japanese narrowly escaped a nearly complete nuclear annihilation. The then President, Harry S. Truman, had announced that if the Japanese government and military failed to accept the terms for an unconditional surrender they could expect a rain of ruin from the air the likes of which has never been seen upon this earth. In the works were four more nuclear bombs and the argument was not whether they would be used, but whether they should be delivered upon the Japanese mainland as they were readied over the next few months or be held and poured out upon the Japanese people in quick succession. Mankind has within its grasp the wherewithal to annihilate every last living soul upon this earth and the evilness of mind to do so.

Mr. Truman failed to note, upon the delivery of his statement as to the likes of such destruction having never been seen upon the earth, that the event was not unprecedented. Those who believe the Bible know that the Biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were delivered unto just such a fiery destruction at the hand of God over five thousand years ago in the year 3123BC; the cause - great sin, rejection of God and His laws and a declination to seek His grace in all humility and abject submissiveness.

The Bible contains a chronological recording of the events of the earth and its inhabitants past, present and future. Only the Creator, the Lord God Almighty, has such perspective. The prophets and apostles who recorded His revelations were selected for just such a purpose before the foundations of the earth were laid, and their inspiration - the Eternal God of limitless power - has preserved their work and His word through the ages to this very day. Satan and his minions and the men who serve him have striven mightily to pollute it, pervert it and efface it, but the Word of God stands like a mighty fortress invulnerable and unassailable.

The Bible was given to mankind for his instruction and we ignore it at our peril. Men can laugh at it, scoff at and denigrate the words thereof and denounce it as myth and superstitious nonsense, but that will not erase any of God’s works, it will not circumvent His control over all of nature and current events nor will it prevent every last prophetic word of the Bible from being carried out. God holds the wisdom of men in derision; man’s every prideful worldly self-centered work is as foolishness to Him.

God’s wrath is poised to be poured out upon this world with a fullness of fury and the United States will be the first to fall, while its English speaking allies will either fall simultaneously or succumb to similar judgment in quick succession. This nation has fallen into a depth of depravity unparalleled in our history. It is not necessary to enumerate our sins they are well known. The perverseness of the minds of the people sickens the soul. Government supported vice is rampant, and the people are of a corrupt mind and their hearts are continually fixed on evil. The killing of millions of babies is sanctioned and protected by government decree, as is sexual perversion and various other vices.

“Our feet run to evil, and we make haste to shed innocent blood; our thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in our paths. The way of peace we do not know, and there is no justice in our ways; we have made for ourselves crooked paths.”

Will we change or will we fall?

We have watched trickles of judgments turn into creeks and then into rivers as the country is beset by one disaster after another. Each calamity falls hard upon the heels of another. Coastal cities and states are devastated and ravaged by storms of unprecedented fury. An entire state is set afire by a statewide electrical storm of historical significance and subterranean rumblings portend the soon coming of catastrophic earthquakes. Hundreds of thousands of acres of the heartland are scourged by floods and communities from coast to coast are shredded and torn apart by monster tornadoes.

Unbridled and illegal immigration has destroyed social cohesiveness and injected racial hatreds and dissention into the nation. Crime is rampant, diseases of new and varied kinds are burgeoning and the health of the people is being destroyed by chemical concoctions pushed by the pharmaceutical reprobates in their quest for astronomical sums of money, and the same are promoted by the medical community and celebrity and media shills for the same reason.

Our country is totally bankrupt and in hock for billions of dollars to foreign nations. Our industrial complex has been dismantled by venal corporate elites and moved to foreign shores, and our economy and currency have been decimated and trashed by the treacherous internationalist agents for a new world order.

We have been delivered into the hands of a now fascist government and every last one of our government institutions is corrupt to the bone and oppressively controlling. Government officials meet clandestinely to plan for martial law and the incarceration of dissident citizens to insulate themselves from possible uprisings over their treasonous acts. The pride of our power as been destroyed, and those to whom the deluded citizens of this country have entrusted their security are seemingly moronic blockheads who blunder into wars, or precipitate wars between other nations, by their obtuse and dim-witted activities. They have no concept of the military strength of those who they provoke and grossly over estimate their own nation’s capabilities both militarily and economically.

In short we have been set up by our own iniquity for total destruction.

Prior to modern times it was relatively easy for scoffers of God’s Word to ridicule Biblical prophecy. It was they said physically impossible for a mark to be implanted into the hand or forehead that would either enable or disable ones ability to carry out commerce or control absolutely a person’s access to the necessities of life. And who could conceive of a power that could instantly dissolve the eyeballs in their sockets, the tongue in the mouth and melt the flesh from the bones. It was they said such silliness that argued that the Bible was a work of fiction or at the very least a collection of mythological tales. Modern science, which is worshipped over God today, has brought all that is prophesied in the Bible to the capability of becoming reality. No longer can God’s prophecies be looked upon as science fiction. Fiction they are not and we are about to learn this the hard way.

We, in this country are perilously close to the end. The concluding event of a long line of corrections at God’s hand will be nuclear destruction. At a time when we least expect it nuclear devastation will rain down upon our cities just as it did upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki and our land will be made desolate. Such a fate is only inevitable if we fail to turn to God with true humility and sorrow and beg His forgiveness and plead for His deliverance. It’s not too late, not yet.
“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4

It Is Not Your Right

Rights are something that many people take for granted, yet they are often something that are often abused . For instance, we all the right to speak out and say what is on our mind. However that right does not entitle us to slander or libel someone.

One right we all have is the right to be treated equally as a human being no matter our race, age, or gender. We all have the right to seek employment and to try and improve our lives. Yet we do not have the right to require others to subsidize our us for our failure to achieve those goals.

Often groups or organizations campaign for rights when in actuality what they really seek is acceptance for their particular cause. That is no more so when one considers the subject of gay rights.

For the most part gays have all the same rights that heterosexual people have, other than those few homophobes who seek out members of the gay community and target them to harass or perhaps assault. So what is it with all the talk of gay rights?

What the gay community really wants is acceptance for their lifestyle choice, and that does not meet the criterion of a right.

There has been much ado recently when California allowed for same sex marriages. Yet California’s decision to do so violates federal law. Chapter 1, Section 7 of Title 1 of the U.S. Code states, “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”

It is particularly ludicrous that those who support, and fight for, the right of gays to marry, would seek equal standing in the eyes of God by having their unions sanctified in a church.

How can any person who engages in homosexual activities expect God to sanctify their union to another who is of the same sex, particularly when it is written in Scripture, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them.” Leviticus 20:13

While it is also true that concerning judging others Christ said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her”, that does not mean that homosexual behavior is any less a sin in God’s eyes and should therefore be considered as sinful by all who profess to be Christians.
It seems that the gay community is not seeking the same rights that each of us as individuals enjoys. Instead they are seeking acceptance of their deviant lifestyle. Why else would a Michigan man be suing the publishers of Bibles for $70 million in emotional damages he suffered because the Bible condemns his sexual activities?

Has our country deteriorated to the point where to mention sin is now considered politically incorrect? It is not only America that has these problems, in 2007 a Priest in Spain was sued over a seminar in which he claimed he could “rehabilitate homosexuals”. Going back to 2005 a Pentecostal pastor was charged with hate speech when he denounced homosexuality as a “cancerous tumor” During his defense, Pastor Ake Green told Sweden’s Supreme Court that his sermon was meant to warn gays that their lifestyle would result in an ‘eternal divorce’ from God.

The first amendment right of free speech appears to be a right that the gay community does not respect when that right is exercised in opposition to their lifestyle.

There are numerous organizations which attempt to garner support for the gay community, and nowhere is there presence more strongly felt than in San Francisco, California.

San Francisco is home to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Celebration Committee, LGBT, whose stated goal is to "educate the World, commemorate our heritage, celebrate our culture, and liberate our people."
http://www.sfpride.org/

One of the ways they go about this is by supporting the group that sponsors the San Francisco LGBT Celebration, and the Folsom Street Fair. The Folsom Street Fair has it's own webpage with a stated goal of "Our mission is to create world-class volunteer driven leather events, providing the adult alternative lifestyle community safe venues for self-expression, emphasizing freedom, fun and frolic, while raising money to benefit San Francisco charities."
http://folsomstreetfair.org/

The San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration, which often goes by the name of San Francisco Pride, is a parade and festival which celebrates all things of the gay lifestyle. It is held in June of each year and is one of the most famous and best attended gay pride parades in the world. It is second to only the Rose Parade in attendance.

The Gay Pride Parade is bad enough, with the gays celebrating their lifestyle for all to witness, but the Folsom Street Fair is downright disgusting in its depravity. The link below shows the type activity that takes place at the Folsom Street Fair, but I have to warn you, it is truly disturbing. Yet this is the lifestyle the gay community wants us to accept as normal.

Warning, the link below contains graphic nudity and repulsive sexually deviant acts
http://www.zombietime.com/up_your_alley_2008/part_1_full/index.php

Those images are both repulsive and, as we know, a violation of the laws of God as found in Scripture. Yet what about mans law, how do they hold up to those?

According to Section 314 of the California Penal Code, "Every person who willfully and lewdly, either: 1. Exposes his person, or the private parts thereof, in any public place, or in any place where there are present other persons to be offended or annoyed thereby; or, 2. Procures, counsels, or assists any person so to expose himself or take part in any model artist exhibition, or to make any other exhibition of himself to public view, or the view of any number of persons, such as is offensive to decency, or is adapted to excite to vicious or lewd thoughts or acts, is guilty of a misdemeanor."

Also, did not one of those disturbing images show a man performing oral sex upon another man, while a third man urinated upon him? According to a California appeals court, urinating in public is illegal as well.

David McDonald, of Berkley, CA, was arrested by police for urinating in a restaurant parking lot. Although it is true that the officers suspected he was in possession of cocaine, Justice Anthony Kline wrote, "There can be little doubt that urination on or near a busy commercial street interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of both life and property." Kline continued, "The sight and smell of urine are vile and offensive, and those who use the public streets and sidewalks cannot be freely subjected to such unpleasantness."

Although not all of the gay community is as 'in your face' with their actions as those who participate in the Gay Pride Parade, and the Folsom Street Fair, their sexual preference is no less offensive to those who chose to live by Gods law and remain heterosexual, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

We all know how in the Scriptures, God destroyed the world with a mighty flood due to the wickedness of man. We also know that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah due to their wickedness.

Is San Francisco any less wicked than those cities of old? Yet the mayor of San Francisco and his Chief of Police tolerate this deviant behavior in their city, claiming it is their "right" to be different. The groups who support this lifestyle claim that these people are born this way and cannot help themselves. They disregard the Scriptures and what they say about homosexuality. Yet in Proverbs, Chapter 14, Verse 9, it states, "Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor."

That can only lead one to assume that those who disregard Gods will and defend the 'rights' of the gay community to be different, are to be considered fools, while those who speak out against this abomination find favor in God's eyes.

It is your choice, you can believe what you want to believe, but I find the gay lifestyle offensive and totally against all that I believe to be good. Those who practice this lifestyle have the right to do so, but they cannot claim that among their rights is the right to demand my acceptance of it. Just as much as they have the right to live in sin, I have the guaranteed first amendment right to speak out against it, and I will continue to do so as long as I live.

Would Someone Please Put A Muzzle On SecDef Gates?

On August 14th the media reported that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates issued a stern warning to Russia in regards to the conflict in Georgia. Secretary Gates said that strained relations may last for years if Russia does not pull back its forces.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4533544.ece

Is it just me, or does anyone else find Secretary Gates comments both arrogant and a bit hypocritical, especially when, according to Reuters, the United States currently has around 162,000 troops deployed to Iraq.

I wonder, how many times former Russian President Vladimir Putin offered the same stern rebuke to President Bush?

Could it be that President Bush is so full of self righteousness that he feels our nation can do whatever it wants without the same fear of lasting consequences or increased levels of anger towards the foreign policy of the United States?

The Bush administration has the audacity to warn Russia to pull back, yet a quick overview of our nations foreign policy history may cause some to ask who it is that needs to be told to 'pull back'.

In 1953 the U.S. overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq and installed the Shah as dictator. During his time in power it is estimated that he had anywhere between 60-100,000 people arrested and held as political prisoners.

In 1954 in an operation known as PBSUCCESS, the Central Intelligence Agency overthrew Guatemalan President Arbenz and replaced him with Colonel Carlos Castillo.

In 1963 the U.S. allowed Vietnamese President Diem to be assassinated, paving the way for Ho Chi Minh to come into power. After the assassination, Minh is quoted as saying, "The consequences of the 1 November coup d'état will be contrary to the calculations of the U.S. imperialists ... Diem was one of the strongest individuals resisting the people and Communism. Everything that could be done in an attempt to crush the revolution was carried out by Diem. Diem was one of the most competent lackeys of the U.S. imperialists ..."

And of course we all know about the Military takeover of Iraq in which Saddam Hussein was removed from power and replaced with a democracy more favorable to the U.S.

These are just a few of the times the United States has meddled in the affairs of other nations. Even more recently the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency funded and trained Osama Bin Laden to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan. Doesn’t anyone find if a bit peculiar how those whom we support at one time, end up becoming our enemies later on?

Now we find ourselves in a conflict/occupation in Iraq with no clear end in sight. Due to our nations military involvement in Iraq it is estimated that 655,000 Iraqis have died due to the conflict. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L11717456.htm

It is also estimated that 60,000 Iraqis are forced to leave their homes every month due to the violence from the war. The total number of refugees is now estimated at over 4 million. http://www.brusselstribunal.org/Refugees.htm

One has to remember that it was not Iraq that attacked us on September 11th. According to official reports fifteen of the hijackers were Saudi Arabian citizens, with two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt and one from Lebanon.

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2002/DCI_18_June_testimony_new.pdf

Why is it then that we have not invaded Saudi Arabia? Could it be the close ties between the Bush family and the Saudi Royal Family has something to do with it?

One has to realize that those radical Islamic terrorists who declare jihad against us are mostly from the Wahhabi sect, the same sect that is the state religion of Saudi Arabia.

According to a 1996 CIA report, one third of all the Saudi-backed charities they studied, were tied to terrorist groups. Also, in 1998 a report by the National Security Council identified the Saudi government as the ‘epicenter’ of terrorist financing, with their being the greatest force in spreading Islamic fundamentalism, funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to jihadist groups and al Qaeda cells around the world.

Not only do the Saudis support radical Islam and funnel money to terrorist groups, they are spreading their message of hatred into our country. The king of Saudi Arabia favors, with financial contributions, certain American organizations and is also funding Wahhabi mosques to be built.

The Saudis support numerous American Universities, including Duke, Howard, Johns Hopkins, and Syracuse.

http://www.kingfahdbinabdulaziz.com/main/m330.htm

Among the mosques they are building here within our own borders, there is the one in Fresno California, East Lansing Michigan, Los Angeles California, New Brunswick New Jersey, Toledo Ohio, Chicago Illinois, along with others in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington state.

While our Bill of Rights guarantees us freedom of speech and religion, these mosques are something we all should be very concerned about. These are not mere houses of worship where people go to praise God and worship Him. These are places were anti American hatred is instilled, places that teach their followers that anyone who follows Christianity as an infidel. They teach that strict Islamic law, Shariah, must be adhered to in America, to include that all women should be veiled in public of be killed. They are taught to see all non-Muslims as their enemies, to dissociate from us, and to oppose us in every way possible. Finally they are taught to prepare for war with America,
"To be true Muslims, we must prepare and be ready for jihad in Allah's way. It is the duty of the citizen and the government."

Yet, with all this evidence pointed at Saudi Arabia, why do we invade Iraq? Could it be because Iraq would not play ball with us and behave according to our wishes? Could it be that is why Iran is next upon our list to attack?

Or could it be that there are deep ties between the Bush family and the Saudis? In his book, House of Bush, House of Saud, journalist Craig Unger traced millions in investments and contracts that made their way from the Saudis over the past 20 years and found their way to companies in which the Bush family, or their friends, have held prominent positions. These companies include Harken Energy, Halliburton and the Carlyle Group. Saudi Prince Bandar even made a single $1 million donation to the Bush Presidential Library in Texas.

The point of all this is this, Secretary of Defense Gates is telling Russia to ’back off’ in Georgia, or else. Yet we have meddled in the affairs of countless other countries, staging coups and overthrowing their, sometimes, duly elected governments. We have military bases in more countries of the world than any other country from which we can mobilize our forces to invade almost anywhere. We have invaded Iraq, overthrew its government, killed over half a million of its citizens, and displaced over four million more. Yet through all this, Russia invades a neighbor and our Secretary of Defense has the arrogance and gall to tell them to back off or there will be lasting consequences to our relationship with them.

If Americans would view our nations actions from the perspective of someone from another country they just may find the comments made by Secretary Gates both arrogant and hypocritical. They may also begin to see why so many nations no longer consider America as a friend or an ally.

Consider The Following

Two hundred and forty five years ago a small percentage of citizens stood up against a superior force and declared their independence from the tyranny under which they lived. This revolution for independence spawned men such as Patrick Henry, who declared, "...give me liberty, or give me death." These were men who realized the inherent danger in their actions and were willing to risk all for that most precious gift, liberty.

The successful war, and the ensuing Constitution, which created our republican form of government, gave these men that gift which they had been willing to risk all to obtain. Yet they realized that to hold on to that gift the people of this country must remain vigilant to prevent tyranny from again ruling the people of this land.

George Washington emphasized that point when he said, "The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered…staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people."

On the very day that Congress had approved the Declaration of Independence, they also appointed Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin to design a seal for the new country. Ben Franklin, along with the support of Thomas Jefferson, proposed the phrase "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."

Although it was not approved by Congress, the sentiment is one that was felt widely among the patriots who fought for our nations independence, and brought forth our Constitution.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote that "The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite." That issue is one that appears to have been settled, as we are no longer a nation in which the will of the people is upheld by those chosen to represent them.

From the earliest point in our nations history there has been a battle over the interpretation of that document which grants our government its very existence, the Constitution.

There were those such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison who felt that the Constitution was to be strictly adhered to. Then there were those, chief among them Alexander Hamilton, who felt that the Constitution was to be loosely interpreted as the needs of the nation demanded.
Thomas Jefferson is quoted as saying, "Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." While James Madison elaborated that point further when he said, "With respect to the two words "general welfare," I have always regarded them as qualified by the detail of powers connected with them. To take them in a literal and unlimited sense would be a metamorphosis of the Constitution into a character which there is a host of proofs was not contemplated by its creators."

On the other side of the argument, Alexander Hamilton is quoted as saying, "Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things."

That issue lies at the heart of all the problems that this country faces, what exactly is the purpose and scope of powers of our government? Forget about Republican versus Democrat, conservative versus liberal. Those issues are insignificant unless you understand what is the true purpose of our government.

Thomas Jefferson described the function of government when he said, "A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned -- this is the sum of good government."

If that be the case, what of the candidates who run for public office who we choose to vote for? Do the promises they make to garner your vote sound more like the one described by James Madison when he said, "If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one subject to particular exceptions."

One year before his death in 1826, and one hundred eighty three years ago, Thomas Jefferson wrote the following in a letter to William Branch Giles, "I see,... and with the deepest affliction, the rapid strides with which the federal branch of our government is advancing towards the usurpation of all the rights reserved to the States, and the consolidation in itself of all powers, foreign and domestic; and that, too, by constructions which, if legitimate, leave no limits to their power... It is but too evident that the three ruling branches of [the Federal government] are in combination to strip their colleagues, the State authorities, of the powers reserved by them, and to exercise themselves all functions foreign and domestic."

If Jefferson said that nearly two hundred years ago, imagine what he would say if he were to see our government as it exists today. Yet we the people of this country sit idly by and allow our government to violate their oath to uphold the Constitution when it was clearly stated by Jefferson, that "Whensoever the General Government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force."

When our apathy is so great that our government can violate the Constitution as it pleases, without fearing the populace there is tyranny. Or as Jefferson once stated, "[The purpose of a written constitution is] to bind up the several branches of government by certain laws, which, when they transgress, their acts shall become nullities; to render unnecessary an appeal to the people, or in other words a rebellion, on every infraction of their rights, on the peril that their acquiescence shall be construed into an intention to surrender those rights." (emphasis added)

Therefore by our negligence in understanding the true function of our government, we are to be held liable for its unlimited growth and scope of powers. We have acquiesced and therefore surrendered our rights willingly, well some of us have anyway.

Even Alexander Hamilton would be astounded at how much our government has grown, and how far its power extends into areas that were not intended. Yet didn’t even Hamilton once say, " Ah, this is the constitution," he said. "Now, mark my words. So long as we are a young and virtuous people, this instrument will bind us together in mutual interests, mutual welfare, and mutual happiness. But when we become old and corrupt, it will bind no longer."

So, before you go to the polls in just under four months, take some time to think about what our government was established to do. Dig out a copy of the Constitution for yourself and read through it if you must. You may be unpleasantly surprised to see that our government no longer resembles that which was intended.

Or you could just go vote for the candidate of your choosing as you always do. If that is the case, remember one thing Gore Vidal once said, “It makes no difference who you vote for-the two parties are really one party representing four percent of the people.”

It’s your choice, but I would like for you to ponder what Samuel Adams once said, “If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen”

Power

"Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance. The history of liberty is a history of limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it."
Woodrow Wilson

Power is something that is often sought. However, once it is obtained it is like a drug that constantly demands an ever increasing amount of it. Most often it is wielded in a way that only benefits those who have it, with little regard for the welfare of those who do not.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others." Our Founding Fathers were wise when it came to the temptations which came with unbridled power. Anyone who has taken the time to research the writings of Jefferson, Madison, and the other founders would know that they were wary of a government with unlimited power.

English historian Lord Acton is quoted as saying, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are always bad men." Is that why Jefferson said that rational men do not seek such power, or is it, as author David Brin said, "It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptable. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power."

Whichever may be true the fact is that as Albert Einstein once said, “The attempt to combine wisdom and power has only rarely been successful and then only for a short while.” That quote certainly applies to our government today, and particularly to the increasing scope of power sought by the executive branch under the present administration. Unfortunately, Einstein’s thoughts on power turned out to be more realistic than the vision held by Thomas Jefferson when he said, “I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.”

When the original thirteen states ratified the Constitution of the United States, they granted the federal government certain enumerated powers that were contained within that document. Those powers were specific and limited, yet over time the people of this country have become ignorant as to what powers the Constitution grants to the government, and more importantly, which ones it does not.

Thomas Jefferson stated that concisely when he said, “I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people' (10th Amendment). To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible to any definition.”

That is exactly what has happened, we, through our ignorance of what the Constitution says, have not only enabled our government to expand it’s powers far beyond the original intent of the Constitution, we have voted for candidates who make campaign promises that they are not authorized to fulfill if they were to govern strictly according to their Constitutional charter.

Our founders realized that there may come a time when the Constitution may not fit the needs of the nation, and they offered us a method to remedy any future deficiency. As we the people were the ones who granted the government its power in the first place by ratifying the Constitution, it is only by an act of the people that the powers granted the government could be increased. Otherwise, as Jefferson said, “Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.”

The proper method for either expanding, or restricting the powers of government are to be found in Article 5, which states, “The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof...”

Our first President, George Washington felt so strongly about this, that he stated, “If in the opinion of the People, the distribution or modification of the Constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.”

We the people have forgotten that our government cannot simply assume powers not granted them by the Constitution, whether they do so by Executive Order, Presidential Signing Statements, Treaties, or Trade Agreements. Not only have we the people forgotten this fundamental principle, those we have elected to represent us seem to have forgotten it as well.

There is an organization called Friends of the Article V Convention, or FOAVC, http://www.foavc.org/, whose webpage states, “We are a non-partisan association of American citizens from every state in our Republic comprised of a broad range of occupations, ethnicities, religious affiliations and political persuasions. Our common bond is a deep commitment to preserving the values and principles embodied in our founding documents - the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution - upon which this nation was founded.”

One of the members of this organization sent out an e mail describing how he had contacted members of Congress in regards to holding a Constitutional Convention to propose amendments to the Constitution. This is part of what he said, "I have openly confronted several Congress members in public arenas now directly. This campaign season is open season, on them. They all respond with thundering silence, completely dumbfounded! One chased me down after the showbiz to ask about it. They don't have a clue what the Constitution says. Its not just that they won't address the issue. Neither the members nor their staff have a clue.”

So, it is not only we the people who are not familiar with what the Constitution says, it is those we elect to represent us as well. When a body of elected representatives do not understand the limitations placed upon them by their charter, in this case our Constitution, how can they be expected to govern within it’s confines?

This also causes one to wonder, are the violations of their oaths of office to uphold the Constitution due to ignorance, or is it something more sinister, intentional violations of the authority granted them?

Could it be that all the special interest groups such the banks, the oil companies, the pharmaceutical companies, ad naseum that lobby Congress, who contribute to the campaigns of these politicians are the ones who actually have the ultimate say in what our government does, or does not do? Could it be that the political parties, who rely upon these special interest groups for their donations, have gained so power, that a candidate who truly understands the Constitution has no chance of ever getting elected?

George Washington warned us about the dangers of political parties, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Whatever the case may be, those in power, whether they be puppets controlled by the special interest groups, or merely ignorant people who unwillingly legislate outside their scope of power, we the people have allowed them to become firmly entrenched because we also are ignorant as to the powers which the Constitution grants them.

Whether we have simply allowed this to happen due to our own ignorance, or whether we have been lied to by those we’ve entrusted to govern according to strictly defined limitations, the end result is the same, we now have a government that is totally out of control.

What is worse is that when people try to inform the public as to the truth concerning their government, they are shunned and called all kinds of names. Carl Sagan, the noted scientist once said, “One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. The bamboozle has captured us. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

Folks, we have been bamboozled. Whether it be by design, or by ignorance, the end result is the same. Whether our nation still has the chance to turn things around, or if we are too far gone to survive is something that is being argued by many. In truth, only time will tell.

Unfortunately, if we are past the point of no return, if our nation, as envisioned by our founders, is truly on the brink of self destruction, things are going to get awfully ugly, and awfully quickly. I only hope that people are prepared for what lies just over the horizon. At least they can’t say that they haven’t been warned.

Somewhat of an explanation

In my recent articles I have been pretty harsh in regards to the people of this country. Although my opinion has not changed, I feel somewhat obligated to explain why I feel this way about my fellow countrymen.

When people vote, I often wonder what is the deciding factor for them casting their ballot for a particular candidate. Is it because that candidate stands for certain principles which coincide with what they believe in? Is it because that candidate promised things which would benefit that person? Is it simply because they are better orators than their opponent? Or is it that they feel disgust for both candidates, but still feel it is their civic duty to vote for the lesser of two evils?

With the caliber of candidates we have had to choose from, I suspect that far too many people are forced to vote for the lesser of two evils. Even so, when people do cast their vote, no matter their reasons, I still think that they expect that candidate to live up to some expectations in return for their vote.

However, there seems to be one thing that far too many Americans have forgotten, that those we elect are bound by the Constitution as to what they can and cannot do in their capacity as representatives of the people.

Each person that we elect swears an oath to uphold the Constitution, yet many of the promises a candidate makes, which is why most people vote for them, are promises that are not included in the specifically enumerated powers granted them in the Constitution.

If we used the Constitution as a litmus test for most of the candidates running for office, none of them would ever get elected. That is because if they ran on a platform which conformed to the Constitution, they would not be able to make all those promises they do, therefore the majority of people would have no reason to vote for them.

Consider the following. Let's say there is a town that has a plant that build GM automobiles and the majority of the people in that town do not like Ford vehicles. Is it within the power of their duly elected sheriff to arrest anyone who owns a Ford just because people don't like Fords? What if your neighbor had a nicer house than you, could your duly elected sheriff take money from your neighbors bank account to fix your house up to the same standards as your neighbors? How about if there are a large number of poor in your city, can the duly elected sheriff come into your home, take food from your pantry and give it to the poor? In all the above cases the answer is no. The reason is because the duly elected sheriff is bound to uphold the law. If there is no law that gives the sheriff those powers, then they cannot take it upon themselves to do those things, no matter how large the majority that wants the sheriff to do them.

While that scenario may be farfetched, the same principle applies to every elected representative for whom you cast a vote. If the city charter, state constitution, or U.S. Constitution does not grant a particular elected official a power, then they just do not have that power, no matter how many citizens support it.

Thomas Jefferson once said, "I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground: That 'all powers not delegated to the United States, by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States or to the people' (10th Amendment). To take a single step beyond the boundaries thus specifically drawn around the powers of Congress, is to take possession of a boundless field of power, no longer susceptible to any definition."

There you have it, if the Constitution does not specifically grant our government a power, then they do not have it, and they cannot assume it, no matter how many people vote for them because they made a promise to do it.

There is a common mentality that government is there to provide things for us. Government benefits, subsidies, and agencies abound whose job it is to take care of us. We believe that it is the job of the government to do these things for us, to ensure that we have all the things we believe we are ‘entitled’ to. I find it funny that at the same time we are asking the government to take care of our every need, we complain that our taxes are too high. Where do people think the money for all these programs comes from?

There are two quotes that people need to ponder in regards to what our government is supposed to do for us. The first is by Thomas Jefferson, “The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits.”, and the second is by Ben Franklin, “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”

So, in our desire to let government pass legislation to benefit us, or to regulate nearly every aspect of our lives, we have opened Pandora's Box. Did we honestly think that once government found it could legislate at will, without restrictions, they would only do what is in our best interest?

Thomas Jefferson warned us that, "Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." How much more easily would this be possible when the people refuse to monitor the actions of their elected representatives, and in fact, specifically vote for them based upon promises that are a direct violation of their charter of power as found in the Constitution?

Our system of government has gotten so bad that those who hold office no longer represent the people at all. It would not be too far a stretch to say that they may in fact despise us due to the fact that the Constitution grants us more power than it grants them.

Whether their continued efforts to dismantle the restraints upon them found in the Constitution, and to abolish our freedom and liberty as found in the Bill of Rights is something that is happening by design, or by accident, is not the point. The point is that it is happening, and we the people are sitting back and, not only allowing it to happen, but we are supporting it by electing representatives who refuse to govern according to the limitations that are placed upon them by the Constitution.

If our those who hold power no longer represent we the people, then who exactly do they represent? Think about this for a moment. The amount of money needed to run a political campaign is mind boggling, and it has to come from somewhere. Those contributions come from people, groups, and corporations who throw their lot behind the candidate who promises to support their cause, or fight for things that will benefit them.

Therefore, those we elect have gone from being representatives of the people, to special interest lackeys. That alone should be cause for concern. Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator during World War II, once said, "The first stage of fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of State and corporate power" That is what we have now, a government that cares little for the welfare of the citizenry, instead allowing corporations to run roughshod over the people and to influence policy and legislation, solely for the sake of increased profits and riches.

One look at our government today and we can see what we have wrought by allowing our government to overstep its authority and switch allegiances from the people, to businesses.

One final thought. The question I always find myself asking is this, if the people of this country are unhappy with the state of the Union, why do we always place the blame upon the President when it is Congress who passes the laws? The President merely signs bills or vetoes them, he has no legislative power. If the Congress legislated according to the Constitution many of the programs and agencies of our government would not even exist. Whether they pass laws that are unconstitutional, or if they allow the executive branch to overstep it's boundaries by assuming powers that are not granted it by the Constitution, it is Congress who is to blame for all the problems in this country.

Two recent polls, one by FOX and another by Gallup, show that Congress has a dismal approval rating, wherein roughly 19% of Americans approve of their job performance. http://www.pollingreport.com/CongJob.htm

So, why do we see so many incumbents getting re-elected? Why has Senator Robert Byrd, from West Virginia, stayed in office for 49 years, Senator Edward Kennedy for 47 years, Senator Daniel Inouye for 45 years, Senator Theodore Stevens for 39 years, and Senator Joe Biden for 35 years?

My own representatives have been in office for quite some time as well. Senator Diane Feinstein has held her seat since 1992, and my representative in the House, Wally Herger, has been in office for 11 years.

Is it because we are content when our representatives do well in ensuring that our state, or our districts get their slice of the pie from the treasury? Is it because the programs and agencies they create benefit us individually?

That is why I am so critical of the people of this country. We have political stagnation, putrid, rotten officials who have lost touch with the people they represent, yet remain in office because we refuse to vote them out. Sooner or later our apathy and our ignorance of the true nature of government is going to come back and bite us in the ass. With the problems this nation is currently experiencing I fear it is sooner.

If we want to turn things around we must see past the lies and propaganda that is spewed from the mouths of those who seek our votes. We must look past the misinformation that is being told us by the media in regards to the affairs of our government. We must turn off our televisions and take the time to do some research on our own about what our government is doing and how these things affect us. If not, all is lost.

We have allowed thieves, liars, and dare I say traitors, to hold office while they entice us with all sorts of campaign promises in one hand, and rob us of our liberty with the other. All this is happening because the people of this country do not care about whether or not their government has become a polluted cesspool of greed and deceit.

If that is what America wants, that is what America is getting. The only problem that I have with that, is that it affects me as well. And that is why I am so mad at my fellow countrymen.

I would like to finish with one final quote by George Washington, "Let the reins of government then be braced and held with a steady hand, and every violation of the constitution be reprehended. If defective, let it be amended, but not suffered to be trampled upon whilst it has an existence."