It's The "Rights" Thing To Do

Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

   First things first. I think the men that bombed Boston are despicable, good riddance to the dead one and may his brother suffer every day of his life for their actions. It is my complete belief that any and all who engage in the murder of innocent people to bring attention to their particular cause should suffer endlessly and experience the pain in measure which they so casually inflict on others.

   I have no sympathy for these individuals, and I believe that no punishment is too harsh for them

   That being said, I also believe all American citizens should be afforded the due process that our Constitution guarantees them, regardless of the severity of their offenses.

   There is nothing in the Bill of Rights that says a person has a right to free speech unless we don't think they deserve it. It doesn't say we have the right to a free press unless they say bad things about us

   . The United States of America was founded on principles that were conceived and committed to writing by men who witnessed the tyranny and unfairness of regimes of their day on an ongoing basis.

   Our founding fathers fought and died for the ability of their children, and their childrens' children, and all who follow to have the opportunity to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These weren't convenient ideas for them, they were core beliefs that they knew were required for a free and open society.

   In the 237 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence this nation has witnessed many situations that tested these concepts. Some for the good, some not so good.

    The founding fathers gave us the flexibility to amend those laws with a two-thirds majority vote by the individual States. However, beginning in the 1970's, we have had those in power slowly nibbling away those rights. Using Presidential powers, our various rights have been curtailed in the name of national security or other powerfully worded reasons.

   The slow erosion of these rights continued throughout the 80s and 90s, regardless of what particular party was in the White House. Then came 9/11, beginning that day and continuing to the present time, the rate at which our rights are being ignored and trampled on has expanded exponentially.

   We are told that withholding Miranda rights was needed to safeguard the public, we have a government that can declare you a terrorist and incarcerate you without charges; or send a Drone to kill you.

    We have witnessed a veritable martial law declared on a major U.S. city, and the passing of Presidential orders giving law enforcement a virtual free pass to stop, interrogate and detain any citizen it feels poses a threat.

   The treatment of prisoners deemed terrorists by our government was a harbinger of things to come, unspecified detention without charges, refusal of legal representation, torture, disregard for habeas corpus.

    The declaration of a "war on terror" is more than a mere phrase; in legal terms a "state of war" gives special powers to the President that would not otherwise exist. Bush and his criminal posse took these powers to their limit and beyond anything resembling legality, and we let them get away with it.

   Now it seems the great hope we have placed in our current President may have proven to be a disappointing dream. Same shit, different day.

    Why are we allowing this to go on? It's because we have been told that we should be scared. Scared of the Islamic boogey-man -- scared of the illegal immigrant coming for your job -- scared, scared, scared, scared, scared.

   We have become a nation of apathetic frightened ostriches, sticking our heads in the ground and hoping the bad things don't see us. Well it's time to wake up and open your eyes and your mouth about what's going on. Taking your rights does not make you safer, it makes you vulnerable to those who would like nothing more than to enslave you and lord power over you.

   We live in a once great country, but history has proven over and over that even great countries can fall if not kept in check. There is a saying,"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither." 

    I hope we are deserving...

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Our Heroes Come Through Again!

Yeeehaw!  Wahooo!  Yip yip yip yip yip!

   Let's hear it for those absolutely fantastic legislators we have in Washington D.C.! You remember, don't you? The ones that are representing us, the ones achieving great things in our name.

   Who would have thought that they would have the foresight to realize that over ninety percent of us were terribly mistaken about our desires on background checks for firearm purchases?

The U.S. Senate

   I just thank God almighty that these brave and fearless political soldiers have the keen understanding to see that what we all really wanted and dare I say, needed, was a continuation of the status quo, not more rules for us to follow.

   After all, why fix something that isn't broken?

   Yes, these national heroes have once again shown us that they possess the bravado needed to vacate the desires of those who elected them, and to replace it with the desires of those that have purchased them, for the good of our nation of course.

    Where would we be without the unending toil and sweat these benevolent Senators and Congressmen suffer through day after day, all in the name of protecting us, mostly from ourselves apparently.

    I believe that these selfless, honorable, and caring individuals should be recognized for the sheer courage it requires to publicly oppose anything that more than 9/10ths of everybody in the nation is in favor of.

   With only love and respect for us, these unselfish super-humans risked their career and integrity to insure that they would do whatever was needed to defeat this bill. Having only our best interest at heart, at a time that we thought that we knew what we wanted.  But, they wisely perceived our mistaken decision and without regard for their own safety, boldly voted down the legislation they knew was bad for us all.

   Though there were a few Democrats siding with them, the vast majority of glory and honor goes once again to the Republicans, who prove, over and over, that they know what's best for us, and they're not about to let anything stop them from demonstrating that belief on every possible occasion.

   We, as a nation, should show nothing but respect and admiration for the courageous display of patriotic behavior that these elected officials demonstrate daily. With such dedication on their part, I believe we should reward these champions of truth and justice for their actions.

    The banks and corporations have long recognized the value of these legislators, and so should we.

    So remember to say thank you to them on election day for making the world a safer place to live in.

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Believe Me, It's True

   By no means do I claim to be a sage of any type. Nor do I espouse that I possess superior wisdom to that of anybody else on the planet. I'm not aware of having any ESP or mind-reading abilities.

   I do not consort with the Devil. I couldn't read your palm if you paid me. I wouldn't go near a tarot card or crystal ball. Reading tea leaves and entrails are completely beyond my comprehension.

   No, the only thing that in my opinion qualifies me to even suggest anything resembling advise to another human being is that I have survived up to now.

   My still being among the living would most likely surprise more than a couple of the people I've known on this adventure ride we call life, myself included.

    My attitude which governed my actions throughout my time on Earth however, is why I feel qualified to say anything at all.

    I absolutely do not throw stones, for I live in a house made of glass. Any type of advice that I might render comes from first-hand experience with consequences. So, anything you perceive as judgemental on my part, is strictly in your imagination.

   That being said, let me tell you some of my observations. I find a number of human behaviors annoying, as I'm sure we all do. However, there are two that carry the potential to send me to the dark side, where anything resembling empathy disappears and evil thoughts on how I might make this persons life immediately less-than-desirable start to fill my brain.

   One is the lack of ability to accept fault. These individuals have programmed themselves to the point of believing that any negative circumstance in their lives are the result of someone or something causing disruption for them. Leaving themselves blameless of any guilt. They seem to possess the ability to identify the persons responsible for their unfair predicament with ease. As long as none of the guilt is due to their own behavior. Nothing, it seems, is ever their fault.

   The second behavior is much worse.  It encompasses a great deal of any interaction that one might have with others. That ugly monster is inconsideration of others. It has permeated society on all levels and people from every walk of life are potential offenders.

    With varying degrees of ability, peoples inconsideration can go from somewhat rudeness, to out-and-out life-threatening situations. All without the offender so much as giving any thought about how their actions might impact others.

   This type of behavior can be seen in virtually any day to day activity, but is most commonly witnessed in the driving habits of others. where the separation from face-to-face confrontation appears to give them anonymity from their victims

   . Giving consideration to others is the same thing as empathy, an emotion we desire and expect from others. Yet, it is one we so rarely extend to one another.

   This is the " GOLDEN RULE", to treat people the way you would want them to treat you. I attempt to follow that rule, and I will admit that I fail at it regularly. But, I try, and slowly, I find more and more that it becomes habit and that I think about how my actions will impact others around me.

   I am only able to be aware of my behavior because of my past experiences. Both good and bad, and God's grace in giving me the ability to see the rewards that I bestow upon myself by acting with compassion and caring for others. For I have witnessed time after time that some things are truly their own reward. And the blessings you receive back are ten-fold of what you give.

   If you want peace and compassion in your life, I promise you this: you can easily attain it by practicing it upon others. You will realize sooner than you think that you will hear God's words in your heart and you will know peace.

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