"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
Archive for the 'Individual Liberty' Category
Are you crazy?
November 19th, 2009, 10:30 am by Brian CalleA friend sent me the below message. I am not sure who it is attributed to but it does help capture of public sentiment that is out thee:
“The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775 - you’ve had 234 years to get it right; it’s broke. Social Security was established in 1935 - you’ve had 74 years to get it right; it’s broke. Fannie Mae was established in 1938 - you’ve had 71 years to get it right; it’s broke. The “War on Poverty” started in 1964 - you’ve had 45 years to get it right. $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor”; it hasn’t worked and our entire country is broke. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965 - you’ve had 44 years to get it right; they’re both broke. Freddie Mac was established in 1970 - you’ve had 39 years to get it right; it’s broke. Trillions of dollars were spent in the massive political payoffs called TARP, the “Stimulus,” the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009…. none show any signs of working, although ACORN appears to have found a new source: the American taxpayer. And finally, to set a new record: “Cash for Clunkers” was established in 2009 and went broke in 2009! It took cars (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with high-priced and less-affordable cars, mostly Japanese. A good percentage of the profits went out of the country. And the American taxpayers take the hit for Congress’s generosity in burning three billion more of our dollars on failed experiments. So, with a perfect 100% failure rate and a record that proves that “services” you shove down our throats are failing faster and deeper, you want Americans to believe you can be trusted with a government-run health care system? 20% of our entire economy!!! With all due respect, Are you CRAZY?”
And We Want to Put The Government in Charge of Health Care Too…
November 19th, 2009, 9:25 am by Brian Calle
Why does the FCC need a MySpace Channel?
November 13th, 2009, 4:19 pm by Brian CalleUsing technology platforms to streamline government, but does the FCC really need a MySpace channel? And who is going to watch their latest forays into regulating entertainment? And MySpace must be desperate if they are partnering with the FCC. I’m sticking to FaceBook. Read more for yourself: Read the rest of this entry »
Beating of a Modern Day Freedom Fighter
November 12th, 2009, 11:51 am by Brian CalleOn Friday Yoani Sanchez, the famous activists and blogger, was detained and beaten by Cuban police on Friday– an action the speaks volumes about the impact she is having in organizing and shaping global opinion about life in Cuba today.
Her blog is called Generation Y and it gives a glimpse into what life is really like in a socialist state.
Yoani is using technology to help lead the fight for freedom.
Thank a veteran today
November 11th, 2009, 4:15 pm by Thomas J. Lucente Jr.
I really love this video. I don’t know if I have ever posted it to this blog before, but even if I had, it is worth reposting.
Be sure to thank a veteran today.
Video: House Passes Health Bill With Government Run Option
November 8th, 2009, 4:58 am by Brian Calle
Global Blog Action Day— on Climate Change
October 15th, 2009, 4:10 pm by Brian CalleToday is global Blog Action Day so I thought it only fitting I would make today my debut blog for Orange Punch.
If you haven’t heard about it, Blog Action Day is an annual event seeking united bloggers around the world to talk about one topic. I like the idea. This year’s topic is climate change.
What I like about this event is that it does not call for a specific viewpoint on the issue, just an ongoing, web based dialogue on a hot topic. Anything that gets people talking and debating an issue is a good thing in my book. So I encourage everyone to post a blog on the topic.
My thoughts on climate change are pretty straight forward:
It seems logical that people have an impact on the climate. But I am not convinced that the situation is a dire as some activists want us to believe. This is an important issue to a lot of people, and I think those people should take action for themselves. For example, do everything you possibly can to make your life cleaner, greener, leaner, and meaner, if this is your cause…and you want to.
But at the same time, don’t try and force your will on others. Or legislate other people to live in the manner you do. That is the problem. Individuals are the solution–not asking government to put mandates on your neighbors.
Personally, I think if you are a climate change advocate you should commit to being a vegetarian. A recent study demonstrated that if everyone gave up one meal of meat a day it would have more of an impact on the environment than if everyone drove a hybrid!
When Al gore becomes a vegan, that is when he will have my full attention!
Cato Lawyer Slams ACLU Lawyer in Race Debate
October 1st, 2009, 8:19 pm by Thomas J. Lucente Jr.
I sat through a debate Tuesday afternoon at the University of Toledo College of Law in Toledo, Ohio, between Mark P. Fancher, staff attorney and director of the Racial Justice Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan (standing at lectern), and Ilya Shapiro, the senior fellow in constitutional studies at the Cato Institute (sitting). (Please forgive the photo quality, I took it with a low-quality cell phone.)
The debate, interestingly enough, was titled “Affirmative Action vs. Reverse Discrimination” and centered on the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this year in Ricci v. DeStefano, the affirmative action case involving a promotion test given to New Haven, Conn., firefighters. (For more background on the case, click here.)
Essentially, the city determined that the examination was racist because statistics showed that not as many minorities as whites passed the test. Therefore, the city threw out the test and refused to promote the whites and one Hispanic who passed the test.
The white firefighters sued.
The appellate court, in an opinion written by now-Justice Sonia Sotomayor, sided with the city in ruling the test as unfair to minorities. The Supreme Court overruled and found for the white firefighters.
In the debate, Fancher, who is black, took the position that the test was obviously racist because of the disparate impact to blacks.
State Sovereignty Movement Growing With Ohio Vote
September 29th, 2009, 7:17 pm by Thomas J. Lucente Jr.
The Ohio Senate on Tuesday struck a victory for states’ rights, constitutionalism and federalism.
The Senate passed 19-12 Senate Concurrent Resolution 13: “To claim sovereignty over certain powers pursuant to the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, to notify Congress to limit and end certain mandates, and to insist that federal legislation contravening the Tenth Amendment be prohibited or repealed.”
Wow!
Basically, the Ohio Senate just told the U.S. government, in legislative jargon, to “Butt out!”
Unfortunately, most Ohioans did not hear about it because there was very little media coverage of the vote, probably because most reporters do not understand what it means.
The governor’s reaction? He issued a press release praising the selection of Cleveland as the site of the 2014 Gay Games.