“Everyone has a natural right to choose that vocation in life which he thinks most likely to give him comfortable subsistence.” Thomas Jefferson
Over the last 50-100 years, we have taken on several some self-destructive mentatilities (see my blog if you need a refresher on the ones I’ve talked about so far; http://americanrefounder.blogspot.com/) but none quite as self-destructive as the belief that as long as you try, you should be rewarded. Large portions of the population have a sense of entitlement to success or certain tangible goods (owning a home, car, big screen tv, etc). A large part of the cause of the current economic situation, the bursting of the housing bubble, was caused by the over use of sub-prime mortgage lending. First the government forced and/or pressured banks to lend to people with bad or no credit because well…doesn’t everyone “deserve” a home? No! Everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue the dream of owning a home, that’s for certain. However, you can’t guarantee success for anything to everyone without paying a costly price another way. This time we paid for it with our economic health. Second, the banks who were forced into the awkward position of having to offer mortgages against all sound financial advice still had to make a profit some way. Unfortunately they also got greedy and used unsustainable interest rates on those sub-prime mortgages (see Principle #3 for that one…). The initial cause of the problem...the government took equal opportunity overboard by trying to guarantee home ownership to everyone who wants one. I’m sorry to break this to everyone, but life isn’t fair. We may all be created equal, but our choices in life define who we are and what we‘re able to do. Some of us CHOOSE to work hard and earn enough money do and buy the things we want. Other people CHOOSE to be lazy and/or CHOOSE a career that just doesn’t pay as well. Unless we want to become a nanny state where we depend on the government to give us everything, we have to either commit to working for what we desire or learn to be content with what we have. Otherwise, we won’t have the option for anything but the essentials in life, and, like any other country gone socialist, will end up fighting for those things in the end as well.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Principle #5 - If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
“I deem one of the essential principles of our government… equal and exact justice to all men of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political.” Thomas Jefferson
This is one that I feel really shouldn’t need explanation or commentary. However, this last year has highlighted the disturbing number of arrogant and/or stupid politicians on both sides of the aisle that are in some kind of trouble, be it taxes, misuse of funds or power, and a number of ethics violations. What’s more disturbing is that relatively few of them suffer any consequences other than a little public embarrassment. You have think that our elected officials are generally smart and well educated people to have gotten to where they are, otherwise it’s a scary indication of how stupid we the electorate can be. Given that, they had to know what they were doing was wrong and/or illegal, but did it anyway because they thought they wouldn’t get caught, or that if they did they were above reproach due to their position. Oh the arrogance….Sadly, some of them were right, and that’s a true American tragedy. This country has to get back to the point where no one is immune to the law. That concept has to start from the bottom up, because the top sure isn’t going to regulate itself. WE have to start holding everyone accountable; everyone from the minimum wage worker up to the President. More importantly, we have to start holding ourselves accountable. There are far too many people, particularly in the younger generations, who are upset and/or bitter with the government and law enforcement not because of how or why laws or made, but because they got caught breaking them. The victim mentality of “poor me” and “look what THEY are doing to ME” simply must go away if we are to have a healthy and just society free of corruption.
This is one that I feel really shouldn’t need explanation or commentary. However, this last year has highlighted the disturbing number of arrogant and/or stupid politicians on both sides of the aisle that are in some kind of trouble, be it taxes, misuse of funds or power, and a number of ethics violations. What’s more disturbing is that relatively few of them suffer any consequences other than a little public embarrassment. You have think that our elected officials are generally smart and well educated people to have gotten to where they are, otherwise it’s a scary indication of how stupid we the electorate can be. Given that, they had to know what they were doing was wrong and/or illegal, but did it anyway because they thought they wouldn’t get caught, or that if they did they were above reproach due to their position. Oh the arrogance….Sadly, some of them were right, and that’s a true American tragedy. This country has to get back to the point where no one is immune to the law. That concept has to start from the bottom up, because the top sure isn’t going to regulate itself. WE have to start holding everyone accountable; everyone from the minimum wage worker up to the President. More importantly, we have to start holding ourselves accountable. There are far too many people, particularly in the younger generations, who are upset and/or bitter with the government and law enforcement not because of how or why laws or made, but because they got caught breaking them. The victim mentality of “poor me” and “look what THEY are doing to ME” simply must go away if we are to have a healthy and just society free of corruption.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Principle #4 - The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
“It is in the love of one’s family only that heartfelt happiness is known. By a law of our nature, we cannot be happy without the endearing connections of a family.” Thomas Jefferson
When it comes time to make major decision in our lives, who do we normally turn to for advice? Our parents or other family members? Friends? Clergy? Perhaps leaders or teachers we respect? I’d say if we exhaust all of these options then what we’re doing is either incredibly complicated and personal, or so vile that we dare not mention it to anyone else. Would you ask the government? Perhaps if it’s on a legal matter. Now, when it really comes down to making the decision, who do we usually pick to make it? The vast majority of people would say that they make their own decisions. Why then would we ask anyone else for input? We ask because we want another perspective, affirmation about what we’re already thinking, or someone to talk us out of it. We do no ask because we want them to make the decision for us because in the end, WE know what’s best for us. Unless you’re a child, then I’ll admit, your parents probably know what’s best. When you allow someone to start making decisions for you, especially someone who doesn’t know you or your situation (i.e. the GOVERNMENT) then you’re giving up your right to complain about the outcome. If you give up accountability and responsibility then you are no longer a player in your own life.
Even worse than giving someone the authority to make your decisions is allowing someone to do so without your consent. Would you let someone walk into your house uninvited and tell you what to eat for dinner or what to tv show to watch? If you said yes, then you deserve only what you get, which won’t be much. Would you let someone tell you where you had to go to buy clothes? How about letting someone dictate which bank to use for a loan? Which car to buy? No? Then why would you allow the government to do any of those?!? If you sit idly by and let the government soak up enough power to dictate the details of your life, then you deserve exactly what you get whether you like it or not. The only one that should be making your decisions is YOU or your spouse. It’s time we as a nation stepped back up to the plate and take responsibility for ourselves. Only then do we truly control our fate as a nation and as a society.
When it comes time to make major decision in our lives, who do we normally turn to for advice? Our parents or other family members? Friends? Clergy? Perhaps leaders or teachers we respect? I’d say if we exhaust all of these options then what we’re doing is either incredibly complicated and personal, or so vile that we dare not mention it to anyone else. Would you ask the government? Perhaps if it’s on a legal matter. Now, when it really comes down to making the decision, who do we usually pick to make it? The vast majority of people would say that they make their own decisions. Why then would we ask anyone else for input? We ask because we want another perspective, affirmation about what we’re already thinking, or someone to talk us out of it. We do no ask because we want them to make the decision for us because in the end, WE know what’s best for us. Unless you’re a child, then I’ll admit, your parents probably know what’s best. When you allow someone to start making decisions for you, especially someone who doesn’t know you or your situation (i.e. the GOVERNMENT) then you’re giving up your right to complain about the outcome. If you give up accountability and responsibility then you are no longer a player in your own life.
Even worse than giving someone the authority to make your decisions is allowing someone to do so without your consent. Would you let someone walk into your house uninvited and tell you what to eat for dinner or what to tv show to watch? If you said yes, then you deserve only what you get, which won’t be much. Would you let someone tell you where you had to go to buy clothes? How about letting someone dictate which bank to use for a loan? Which car to buy? No? Then why would you allow the government to do any of those?!? If you sit idly by and let the government soak up enough power to dictate the details of your life, then you deserve exactly what you get whether you like it or not. The only one that should be making your decisions is YOU or your spouse. It’s time we as a nation stepped back up to the plate and take responsibility for ourselves. Only then do we truly control our fate as a nation and as a society.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Principle #3 - I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
“I hope that I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.” George Washington
I recall a time when the one most common pieces of advice that parents, teachers, and leaders gave to children was “honesty is the best policy.” Unfortunately, these days the little pieces of wisdom that seem to be prevailing is “a little white lie never hurt anybody” or “the best lie is one you can get away with” or “what [they] don’t know won’t hurt [them].” It’s no wonder nobody trusts anyone outside their little circle any more. It’s no wonder that the legal world is rife technicalities and minute details to ensure all parties abide by an agreement. It’s NO WONDER that pieces of legislation are coming out with in an indiscernible 2500 pages of words only the authors understand! It is painfully obvious that handshake has lost its solemn honor and a man’s word is no longer good…without a notarized legal document of course. If we are to survive as a nation…a society…hell, as human beings, we simply must re-establish trust amongst ourselves. Imagine how much better our banks, insurers, and most of all governments would operate with a little honesty and trust. There would be no need for bribes, ultra-fine print, closed-door debates, and underhanded legislative tricks from EITHER party. A little honesty would go a long way to solving all of our problems. However, that honesty starts on the individual level. We have to start being honest with ourselves about who we are, what we believe, and most of all, our shortcomings. We can’t point out the speck in someone else’s eye without removing the plank in our own (Luke 6:41). Then we can begin to be honest with family…friends…co-workers…and so forth. Eventually, we can become an honest and honorable people again.
I recall a time when the one most common pieces of advice that parents, teachers, and leaders gave to children was “honesty is the best policy.” Unfortunately, these days the little pieces of wisdom that seem to be prevailing is “a little white lie never hurt anybody” or “the best lie is one you can get away with” or “what [they] don’t know won’t hurt [them].” It’s no wonder nobody trusts anyone outside their little circle any more. It’s no wonder that the legal world is rife technicalities and minute details to ensure all parties abide by an agreement. It’s NO WONDER that pieces of legislation are coming out with in an indiscernible 2500 pages of words only the authors understand! It is painfully obvious that handshake has lost its solemn honor and a man’s word is no longer good…without a notarized legal document of course. If we are to survive as a nation…a society…hell, as human beings, we simply must re-establish trust amongst ourselves. Imagine how much better our banks, insurers, and most of all governments would operate with a little honesty and trust. There would be no need for bribes, ultra-fine print, closed-door debates, and underhanded legislative tricks from EITHER party. A little honesty would go a long way to solving all of our problems. However, that honesty starts on the individual level. We have to start being honest with ourselves about who we are, what we believe, and most of all, our shortcomings. We can’t point out the speck in someone else’s eye without removing the plank in our own (Luke 6:41). Then we can begin to be honest with family…friends…co-workers…and so forth. Eventually, we can become an honest and honorable people again.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Principle #2 - I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.
“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.” from George Washington’s first Inaugural address.
Whether some people like it or not, or are even willing to admit it, the United States was based on Judeo-Christian values. If you strip away the religious context of those values, you will inevitably find that they are almost universal across the country even today. Values and principles such as honesty, compassion, charity, forgiveness, personal choice and liberty, responsibility, humility, and an entire list of “Thou shalt nots” have molded the overarching concepts of right and wrong that the majority of Americans accept to be true. That is the very fabric of our society that allows us to take that moral high ground that keeps us standing as a Good nation (see yesterday’s comment on Principle #1 – America is Good). To deny these values and their origin would be to violently rip apart that fabric. Has anyone noticed a little division lately? Over the last 50 years or so, there has been a massive “freedom from religion” movement hell-bent on erasing God from everything except our minds; though they’d like that as well I think; to the point that it’s “politically incorrect” to be religious outside of a church/synagogue/mosque/temple. By doing so, we inevitably are forced to check our values at the door as well. As Washington stated, if we disregard these values and principles, we will lose the great blessings that God bestowed on this great nation at its inception. Has anyone noticed the growing list of people/countries that don’t like us anymore or at best no longer respect us? If we want to restore our standing in the world, we must first realize how we got there in the first place.
Whether some people like it or not, or are even willing to admit it, the United States was based on Judeo-Christian values. If you strip away the religious context of those values, you will inevitably find that they are almost universal across the country even today. Values and principles such as honesty, compassion, charity, forgiveness, personal choice and liberty, responsibility, humility, and an entire list of “Thou shalt nots” have molded the overarching concepts of right and wrong that the majority of Americans accept to be true. That is the very fabric of our society that allows us to take that moral high ground that keeps us standing as a Good nation (see yesterday’s comment on Principle #1 – America is Good). To deny these values and their origin would be to violently rip apart that fabric. Has anyone noticed a little division lately? Over the last 50 years or so, there has been a massive “freedom from religion” movement hell-bent on erasing God from everything except our minds; though they’d like that as well I think; to the point that it’s “politically incorrect” to be religious outside of a church/synagogue/mosque/temple. By doing so, we inevitably are forced to check our values at the door as well. As Washington stated, if we disregard these values and principles, we will lose the great blessings that God bestowed on this great nation at its inception. Has anyone noticed the growing list of people/countries that don’t like us anymore or at best no longer respect us? If we want to restore our standing in the world, we must first realize how we got there in the first place.
Principle #1 - America Is Good
Over the next 3 weeks, I will be detailing and providing commentary on the 9 principles and 12 values as laid out by the 9-12 Project. These principles and values were laid out by Glenn Beck (my sincerest thanks for helping wake us up again) as an example of how Americans can live our lives in an honorable manner so that we may get back to the roots of the founding of our country. Today, I start with the first two principles.....
Though sometimes we lose our way and get off track, as every human being does, and its citizenry still stands as a beacon of hope across much of the world. We have brought freedom, medicine, and technology to every corner of the earth. If you were to ask individuals what the United States should do on any given issue, 99/100 citizens will promote the moral high road as it is from their point of view. Regardless of where we are at this point in time, or how divided we may be internally, America is still a Good nation because Liberty and values have been infused into our souls.
Though sometimes we lose our way and get off track, as every human being does, and its citizenry still stands as a beacon of hope across much of the world. We have brought freedom, medicine, and technology to every corner of the earth. If you were to ask individuals what the United States should do on any given issue, 99/100 citizens will promote the moral high road as it is from their point of view. Regardless of where we are at this point in time, or how divided we may be internally, America is still a Good nation because Liberty and values have been infused into our souls.
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