Had to pass on these 2 shots of a beautiful Sunset out in Forest last night. I got the camera out just in time. One minute later it was all gray!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Forest Sunset 2/19/08
Had to pass on these 2 shots of a beautiful Sunset out in Forest last night. I got the camera out just in time. One minute later it was all gray!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Operator Error!!
I was going to title this entry “The System is Broken” but that would have not been true. The system that our founding fathers crafted artfully is just fine. Upon writing our constitution, they assured themselves a form of government that would live on well past their lives and well past my own. What they didn’t account for and couldn’t have foreseen was what I will begin to refer to as operator error. This could also go under the subheading of “Weak Minded Voters”. Hang with me for a moment and I’ll explain.
When the founding fathers framed our base law in document form, the society at the time was very intelligent and very self-sufficient. The government was built as a basis for helping the citizens live their lives as they pleased with very few outside influences or regulations. There was a system much like that of any time before the 1900’s which consisted of friend helping friend and neighbor helping neighbor. They relied on the government for very little, and in some cases for nothing. Therefore, very few laws were needed. Only some big picture laws, or guidelines of you will, were necessary. Most everyone at that time was solidly founded in a strict value system that for most came from the Bible. There were of course those who strayed, but society as a whole did not tolerate deviance. The point is that citizens were very much able to make their own daily decisions on right and wrong just from their value system and their family upbringing.
The news of the day came from near by mostly from word of mouth and could be trusted implicitly. All they needed to know came from their small circle of family, friends, and community. Occasional news came from other parts of the country and consisted by word of mouth and some printed materials. Most of what they heard was honest news being passed on for information’s sake. Again, they learned to be self-sufficient. They lived their lives as they knew was right, and did not wait for those passing on news to tell them.
Fast-forward all the way to today. We are hand-fed by our government down to the nth degree. There is a law for every move we make. Folks long ago didn’t litter because they knew it was wrong. Today our society has degraded to the point that every move we make is dictated by laws. No one has to think anymore because everything is spelled out for them.
News today comes from everywhere (radio, TV, web, Newspapers, e-mail, Text-messages, you name it). We are told up-to-the-minute details of every happening anywhere instantly. The only problem is that the news folks everywhere now feel free to mix opinion with news as common practice. So many folks listen to talk radio or 24-hour TV news so much, that it becomes ingrained in their minds. They stop having any original thoughts, and all of their opinions begin to sound like what they watch or listen to. I talk to tons of friends who say they are conservatives, but yet they sound like Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh when they talk.
So now instead of folks being self-sufficient they have now slowly been lulled into a dependence on media and government. So what does this have to do with the political system in this country? I have been brought up by my father to always go to the polls on Election Day and vote from your heart. He also taught me to stand up strongly for what I believe. I still do, but suddenly I am looked at as old fashioned. I have supported Mike Huckabee from day one of this election cycle. People have been telling me for weeks that I need to move on a support John McCain. Mike was still solidly in the race as early as just before Super Tuesday, and folks were already saying McCain had the nomination sewed up I needed to conform. I believe strongly that people let media of all sorts convince them that Mike was not a “national candidate”. I believe strongly that he would have easily been a national candidate if people had just had courage and stood up for their stated values. By the time for the Virginia primary most of my conservative friends had been convinced to vote against their heart in the name of party unity. They went to the polls like good little sheep and voted for the candidate that we are now supposed to line-up behind. It doesn’t matter that John McCain is directly opposed (by voting record) to much of what we believe. All that matters is that they voted for they guy with a “chance”. They got this notion directly from some form of media and now its fact. So Huckabee is now kicked to the curb by most and left for dead because they let someone tell them he didn’t have a chance. In reality, if everyone had voted their heart and ignored the media, Mike would have had a great chance.
I did what I know was right and voted for Mike. Most say this only proves that I’m not a progressive thinker. I say it’s a case of not settling just because were told to. I say it’s taking a different route because it is right.
Anyway it is now pretty much over for Mr. Huckabee who represented the right’s only real option for a win. His only chance is if McCain can’t get the magic number of delegates by the convention, and it is a major long shot. So now I’m hearing that I have to commit right away that I’ll vote for McCain. I just can’t do that. I am going to stand by my convictions, and wait and see if Mr. McCain makes any efforts to meet the right half way. I would still hope for a real conservative to step up and run as a third party candidate. There are those who are trying to convince Mr. Huckabee to do this, and I hope he will consider it long and hard. We need a clean start with a true conservative party. I can no longer call myself a Republican with the direction this party has now taken.
So, I’ve said a lot but I’d like to end with this. The system is not broken, but the Operators have forgotten how to use it. I for one will not fall in line just because I’m told too. I see McCain as a liberal who happens to have some Conservative views on Military and Foreign policy. He will move us to the left just like Obama or Hillary, just at a slower pace.
That’s my 2.5 cents, so there!
When the founding fathers framed our base law in document form, the society at the time was very intelligent and very self-sufficient. The government was built as a basis for helping the citizens live their lives as they pleased with very few outside influences or regulations. There was a system much like that of any time before the 1900’s which consisted of friend helping friend and neighbor helping neighbor. They relied on the government for very little, and in some cases for nothing. Therefore, very few laws were needed. Only some big picture laws, or guidelines of you will, were necessary. Most everyone at that time was solidly founded in a strict value system that for most came from the Bible. There were of course those who strayed, but society as a whole did not tolerate deviance. The point is that citizens were very much able to make their own daily decisions on right and wrong just from their value system and their family upbringing.
The news of the day came from near by mostly from word of mouth and could be trusted implicitly. All they needed to know came from their small circle of family, friends, and community. Occasional news came from other parts of the country and consisted by word of mouth and some printed materials. Most of what they heard was honest news being passed on for information’s sake. Again, they learned to be self-sufficient. They lived their lives as they knew was right, and did not wait for those passing on news to tell them.
Fast-forward all the way to today. We are hand-fed by our government down to the nth degree. There is a law for every move we make. Folks long ago didn’t litter because they knew it was wrong. Today our society has degraded to the point that every move we make is dictated by laws. No one has to think anymore because everything is spelled out for them.
News today comes from everywhere (radio, TV, web, Newspapers, e-mail, Text-messages, you name it). We are told up-to-the-minute details of every happening anywhere instantly. The only problem is that the news folks everywhere now feel free to mix opinion with news as common practice. So many folks listen to talk radio or 24-hour TV news so much, that it becomes ingrained in their minds. They stop having any original thoughts, and all of their opinions begin to sound like what they watch or listen to. I talk to tons of friends who say they are conservatives, but yet they sound like Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh when they talk.
So now instead of folks being self-sufficient they have now slowly been lulled into a dependence on media and government. So what does this have to do with the political system in this country? I have been brought up by my father to always go to the polls on Election Day and vote from your heart. He also taught me to stand up strongly for what I believe. I still do, but suddenly I am looked at as old fashioned. I have supported Mike Huckabee from day one of this election cycle. People have been telling me for weeks that I need to move on a support John McCain. Mike was still solidly in the race as early as just before Super Tuesday, and folks were already saying McCain had the nomination sewed up I needed to conform. I believe strongly that people let media of all sorts convince them that Mike was not a “national candidate”. I believe strongly that he would have easily been a national candidate if people had just had courage and stood up for their stated values. By the time for the Virginia primary most of my conservative friends had been convinced to vote against their heart in the name of party unity. They went to the polls like good little sheep and voted for the candidate that we are now supposed to line-up behind. It doesn’t matter that John McCain is directly opposed (by voting record) to much of what we believe. All that matters is that they voted for they guy with a “chance”. They got this notion directly from some form of media and now its fact. So Huckabee is now kicked to the curb by most and left for dead because they let someone tell them he didn’t have a chance. In reality, if everyone had voted their heart and ignored the media, Mike would have had a great chance.
I did what I know was right and voted for Mike. Most say this only proves that I’m not a progressive thinker. I say it’s a case of not settling just because were told to. I say it’s taking a different route because it is right.
Anyway it is now pretty much over for Mr. Huckabee who represented the right’s only real option for a win. His only chance is if McCain can’t get the magic number of delegates by the convention, and it is a major long shot. So now I’m hearing that I have to commit right away that I’ll vote for McCain. I just can’t do that. I am going to stand by my convictions, and wait and see if Mr. McCain makes any efforts to meet the right half way. I would still hope for a real conservative to step up and run as a third party candidate. There are those who are trying to convince Mr. Huckabee to do this, and I hope he will consider it long and hard. We need a clean start with a true conservative party. I can no longer call myself a Republican with the direction this party has now taken.
So, I’ve said a lot but I’d like to end with this. The system is not broken, but the Operators have forgotten how to use it. I for one will not fall in line just because I’m told too. I see McCain as a liberal who happens to have some Conservative views on Military and Foreign policy. He will move us to the left just like Obama or Hillary, just at a slower pace.
That’s my 2.5 cents, so there!
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