29.4.09

Juxtaposition



"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have“--Gerald Ford (Presidential address to a joint session of Congress,12 August 1974) 


A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” --Joseph Smith, Jr.  (Lectures on Faith, 1985, 69)

I heard the first quote recently and it reminded me of the second one.  One is talking about the power (ultimately) to take, and the other the power to ultimately give.  

I won't write a whole essay here today, but I will point out that if you believe the first one, then you believe the government has the power to take away your right to worship according to your own conscience.    I do want your thoughts (short or long) on this.

Thoughts on the tea party.

There will be another tea party. This time I think we'll take the kids.  It's July 4th in Colorado Springs or Monument. 

We had a great time at the Tax Day Tea Party in Denver.  I know, I said we were going to the Springs, but then DH had to travel and it just worked better to be at the one in Denver.  'Sides, I found a willing soul to watch my kids if I went to Denver.  She would have been not so giving if I had opted for the extra drive time to Springs.  

I was thoroughly disappointed with the news "coverage" except on Fox News, of course.  I can't believe what assumptions journalists and commentators have made about people who attended the tea parties.  If you want to know why I went: read on (and don't interrupt with your own agenda).

I went because I am an originalist.  I believe in the Constitution the way it was written and intended to govern by the men who wrote it.  I believe in it in it's original form.  I believe in small government and states' rights.  I believe that most things the Federal government is doing  (and has been doing for generations) is unconstitutional.  I'm a conservative and I believe in self-sufficiency.  I believe that the government should not be in the charity business.  I believe that you have the power to control your destiny.  If you need help then a charity has a much better plan for helping you to help yourself than the government could ever have.  I believe that elected officials are civil servants.  Service infers that this is work done for free.  I believe the government is too big, is meddling in too many things it has no business in, does more damage than good with unintended consequences of its actions, and has become too powerful (see the post above).  I'm done with government in the direction it is going.  I protested to exercise my 1st amendment right to tell my government what I think.  I want change.  I want smaller government.  I want them to know that I am willing to fight for what I believe.  I want change back to the original intent of the Constitution without revolution.  But, if  revolution is what it takes, then I'm in for that!